Flacco loses job as Ravens starting QB

As he worked diligently for more than a month to return from a potentially dangerous hip injury, Joe Flacco watched the Baltimore Ravens flourish without him.

Now that he's healthy, Flacco must adjust to a role he's never experienced during his 11-year NFL career: backup quarterback.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh on Wednesday selected rookie Lamar Jackson as his starter, opting to play the hot hand rather than a former Super Bowl MVP who's been starting since his inaugural season in 2008.

After Flacco hurt his right hip in a loss to Pittsburgh on Nov 4, the fleet-footed Jackson took over as the starter following a bye week. Under his guidance, the Ravens ramped up their running game and went 3-1, the only loss in overtime last Sunday on the road against the powerful Kansas City Chiefs.

With Baltimore desperate to end a three-year playoff drought, Harbaugh decided the Ravens would be best served with Jackson running the offense.

"Every decision is based on making us the strongest possible team we can be," Harbaugh said. "Whether it's quarterback or defensive line, that's the bottom line. That's what it boils down to. That's how we feel about this decision, and we're rolling."

Jackson will start Sunday when the Ravens (7-6) host Tampa Bay (5-8).

The 33-year-old Flacco has 163 career starts compared to Jackson's four and has guided the Ravens into the playoffs on six occasions. He was Super Bowl MVP in 2012, when he led Baltimore past San Francisco to cap a postseason in which he threw 11 touchdown passes and no interceptions.

But in a league that doesn't give a hoot about the past, Flacco realized his future in Baltimore would be in jeopardy as soon as the Ravens selected Jackson out of Louisville with the 32nd overall pick in April.

"They drafted Lamar in the first round. At some point, something was going to happen between the two of us," Flacco said. "Who knows what that was going to be? This is just what it is at this point."

Flacco retained the starting job until he banged up his hip against the Steelers. He finished the game and wanted to play in the next one, but the doctors wouldn't allow it.

"The risks of going back out there and playing were just a lot," Flacco said. "If I just let it play the course and get to where we are today, the risks are nothing."

He was talking about his health, not losing his grip on the starting job.

"I've obviously had five weeks to think about and prepare myself for this situation and the possibility of it," Flacco said. "And yeah, I'm disappointed I can't be in that locker room in the same capacity that I've always been. But this is my situation right now, and I'm going to do my best to handle it the right way."

Cleared to practice at full capacity for the first time since his injury, Flacco returned to work Wednesday with the second-team offense. His role now is the same as every backup he's had for years, from Troy Smith in 2008 to Jackson in the early stages of this season.

"Always got to be ready and stay sharp," Flacco said.

With Jackson running the offense, the Ravens have racked up an NFL-best 914 yards rushing over the past four weeks. More importantly, they've won three of four to put themselves in the middle of the playoff picture. Baltimore trails Pittsburgh by a half-game in the AFC North and currently holds the No. 6 wild-card spot.

And that is why Flacco returns to a role on the bench.

"I can't say I was surprised," he said.

Seahawks lose LB Kendricks for season

Mychal Kendricks' awkward season came to an abrupt end Wednesday when the linebacker was placed on injured reserve after injuring his left leg in the Seattle Seahawks' win over Minnesota.

Coach Pete Carroll said Kendricks will need surgery to repair what sounds like a pair of injuries to his left knee and leg. Carroll didn't get into specifics.

"There's a little nick in there. There's a couple of things they're going to work on. It's not a terrible knee injury but it's going to take a little bit," Carroll said, noting it likely would have taken Kendricks at least six to eight weeks of recovery to come back.

The injury brought an end to a roller coaster season for Kendricks. The Minnesota game Monday night was his first following an eight-game suspension handed down by the NFL after Kendricks pleaded guilty to federal insider trading charges. Kendricks was originally suspended indefinitely but the suspension was reduced.

Kendricks started the season in Cleveland but he was released in late August after he was charged. Seattle signed him before Week 2 and he played in three games prior to his suspension.

"It's just been such a difficult season for Mychal. My heart goes out to him," Carroll said. "He wants to be part of this thing so badly. He doesn't get to this time around. We'll look forward to getting him back next time and being with us."

When and if Kendricks ever rejoins the Seahawks is likely in the hands of a federal judge. Kendricks is expected to be sentenced sometime in the first couple months of 2019.

He may still be recovering from surgery when that happens. Kendricks was hurt in the third quarter of the 21-7 win over the Vikings but missed only a couple of plays. He was examined by trainers and returned to the field. Kendricks played 76 percent of the defensive snaps.

"Getting back with the guys, getting acclimated to the system and practicing well, it turned over to the game, the game is just like practice," Kendricks said after the game. "We've been practicing well and we play well. And we came away with the victory."

Seattle middle linebacker Bobby Wagner said that for a few moments, it seemed like a revolving door playing next to him. Kendricks left the field to be replaced by Shaquem Griffin, and then he was replaced by Austin Calitro before Kendricks was back on the field.

"I didn't know the extent of the injury," Wagner said. "Something might have happened, he mentioned something, but he said he felt good, said he was OK and went out there. I didn't know it was that extent until after the game."

With Kendricks out, the Seahawks will likely rely on Calitro in the short term with the hope that veteran K.J. Wright will be able to return before the end of the regular season. Wright has played in just three games this season due to surgery to repair a knee injury suffered in the preseason. He returned in Week 8 and played three straight weeks before missing the past four games.

"He's getting close. This will be an important week to work him back in and then hopefully a couple of weeks from now we'll have a chance to get him back," Carroll said.

Calitro has proven to be a capable fill-in after some struggles early in the season and he could end up being one of Seattle's main options going into next season. The second-year player started three games at weakside linebacker this season, but Calitro said it was the game he started in Week 2 at middle linebacker that really helped his development.

"The game just finally slowed down for me. I don't feel like I'm playing catch up as much as I was at the beginning of the season," Calitro said. "I got comfortable with both positions and know how each position is fitting off each other."