After missing four straight games for the Baltimore Ravens due to a hip injury, Ravens' quarterback Joe Flacco is returning to the field this Sunday for the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...as the backup to rookie QB Lamar Jackson.
Jackson has gone 3-1 as QB1 for the Ravens in Flacco's absence and head coach John Harbaugh made the announcement during his December 12 press conference.
"Joe is fully healthy, ready to go and will be a full participant in practice, he'll be up for the game. Starting quarterback will be Lamar, Joe will be the number 2 quarterback and Robert Griffin will be the backup to those two guys," Harbaugh stated.
The Ravens are making a run for the playoffs and Harbaugh said his decision on who will start is ultimately about keeping the team as strong as possible.
Flacco addressed the media shortly following Harbaugh's announcement and while he expressed his disappointment that he "can't be part of the team in the same capacity" as he's been for the past 10 seasons, he's "always ready."
This season, Flacco has completed 61.2% of his passes for 12 touchdowns with 6 interceptions in nine games while Jackson has completed 58.4% of his passes for 4 touchdowns with 3 interceptions in four games. Jackson is also currently the team's leading rusher and has 3 touchdowns on the ground under his belt.
The Ravens will take on the Buccaneers this Sunday, Dec. 16 at home at 1PM.