Jets' Joe Flacco, Dolphins' Skylar Thompson to start AFC East clash

The New York Jets will turn to Joe Flacco in their season finale at Miami with fellow quarterback Mike White ruled out due to injured ribs, coach Robert Saleh announced Friday. The Dolphins, in turn, will start rookie Skylar Thompson for Sunday's game, coach Mike McDaniel announced. The seventh-round pick is getting the starting nod over Tua Tagovailoa (concussion protocol), Teddy Bridgewater (dislocated finger) and newly signed Mike Glennon. Flacco, 37, started the first three games of the season with Zach Wilson recovering from preseason knee surgery. The former Super Bowl MVP has completed 58.2 percent of his passes for 902 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions in four games this season. Wilson is expected to be the No. 2 quarterback for New York (7-9), which has lost five in a row and has been eliminated from postseason contention. Perhaps the decision to have the quarterback carousel stop at Flacco was influenced by having a make-shift offensive line for Sunday's game. Saleh ruled out offensive tackles Duane Brown (shoulder) and George Fant (knee) and guard Nate Herbig (calf) -- all starters -- against the Dolphins. When asked why Saleh chose Flacco over Wilson to start Sunday's game, the coach said he wants the latter to focus on next season. "I want to get him to the offseason so we can attack the plan that we've been building," Saleh said of Wilson. "Putting him out there right now is not going to do him any good; it's not going to do anyone any good. For Zach, it's all about '23." While the Jets are playing out the string, the Dolphins (8-8) need a win coupled with a loss by the New England Patriots at Buffalo in order to secure the AFC's final postseason berth. Only if both happen would Miami earn its first trip to the playoffs since 2016 and second in the past 15 seasons. In his lone start of the season, Thompson completed 7 of 13 passes for 89 yards against the Minnesota Vikings on Oct. 16 before exiting with an injury. Thompson, 25, completed 19 of 33 passes for 166 yards with an interception after replacing an injured Bridgewater in the Dolphins' 40-17 loss to the Jets on Oct. 9. --Field Level Media