Baltimore Ravens officially claim Jimmy Clausen off waivers

The Baltimore Ravens claimed quarterback Jimmy Clausen off waivers and have placed Joe Flacco on season-ending injured reserve.

This morning I wrote a piece on why the Baltimore Ravens should sign former Bears quarterback Jimmy Clausen to be the backup to Matt Schaub. A few hours later, the Ravens made me look smart by claiming the former Notre Dame star off of waivers.

To make room for Clausen on the roster, the Ravens placed Joe Flacco on injured reserve, the 15th player to end up on IR. Justin Forsett, who broke his arm Sunday, will likely be No. 16 at some point this week.

The move made sense for everyone. Clausen knows Offensive Coordinator Marc Trestman’s system after spending last season with him in Chicago. The Ravens needed a quarterback that could immediately be placed into action if something were to happen to Schaub down the stretch.

Clausen was waived Monday by the Bears in favor of David Fales, who was promoted from the Bears practice squad to the active roster. He appeared in four games under Trestman last year with the Bears, completing 54.2 percent of his passes with two touchdowns and an interception. He also played twice this year, completing 23 of 40 passes with an interception as an injury replacement for Jay Cutler.

The move to bring in Clausen could also be a move for the future. Schaub signed a one-year deal in the offseason and it remains to be seen if Baltimore wants him back in 2016. Clausen is a much younger option (28) than the 35-year-old Schaub. The Ravens have to be prepared in the event that Flacco is not ready for the start of the regular season and could decide that Clausen is the man for a few games.

Next: Ravens Next Man Up At Running Back

Flacco has received a lot of criticism for his play over the years, but Ravens fans are about to find out how fortunate they have been over the past eight and a half years.