APWith Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco entering the final year of his rookie contract, discussions will continue without any acrimony or threats of a holdout.
“All the conversations have been productive,” agent Joe Linta told Albert Breer of NFL Network. “We’ve gone back-and-forth on proposals. And the biggest thing I can tell you is that Joe’s so focused on winning that all of this isn’t something he’s paying a lot of attention to, he’s got such a chip on his shoulder about winning now. The most telling quote from Joe I can give you is that he told me, ‘I’ve got a contract, and I’m gonna honor it.’ He’s part of a rare breed in this day and age.”
Before we begin preparing the paperwork to nominate Joseph of Audobon for canonization, let’s keep in mind that plenty of elite quarterbacks have played out their contracts. Drew Brees has done it, twice. Peyton Manning has done it, twice.
The point is that Flacco isn’t preoccupied with the situation, and that he’s not worried about it becoming a distraction. As a result, a new deal can come at any time.
“Pat [Moriarty] can call me today, Halloween, Thanksgiving, whenever, and Joe gives me the leeway to talk whenever,” Linta said “We’re not creating any artificial deadlines. I do know once he’s on the field, his focus is there, but we can keep working.”
That’s a stark contrast to Brees, who eventually pulled the plug on talks during the 2011 regular season.
“The only distraction for Joe would be me calling him,” Linta said. “I’ve been doing this a long time, and I’ve rarely seen a guy so single-minded.”
It’s the right approach. Because if Flacco has to enter the season without a new deal, each strong performance will give him more leverage. And weak performances will swing the pendulum back to the Ravens. If a new deal ultimately isn’t done, the Ravens will have to decide whether to offer him a one-year deal worth the average of the five highest-paid quarterbacks, or whether to let him hit the open market.
Playing well and winning will make the Ravens more likely to pay him now. And it will make them more likely to use the franchise tag later, which for Flacco would result in a salary much higher than what he’d average on any new deal he could negotiate before then.
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Good Biz by Ravens…not much of a chance for Flacco to gain leverage – Harbaugh does not trust him to run offense at elite level.
He will continue to execute the plays called for him, the best he can.
Let’s see how good he his when he’s playing for a contract. As of now he’s done nothing to get a paid like a top QB. That defense has carried him like it has every QB whose ever been there.
If no contract is done before the start of the year; a Super Bowl appearance would equal a big contract for him. A Super Bowl win would equal a bigger one.
Hopes he gets his $. He just needs to show the Ravens org and fans that the team can lean on his arm consistently. Hes but then he shows everyone that he isnt that great in the next game..Flaccos recent worst games, 2010 Bengals 4 INTs, 2011 Jaguars,2011 Seahawks…just dont look good for a big pay check right now
We can not underestimate the Ravens’ history with their Quarterbacks when cosnidering the position they find themselves in with Flacco.
Ray Lewis has been around since the beginning. That defense has had Ed Reed since 2002. They’ve had Sizzle for 8 years and added Ngata for several years.
The one thing they NEVER had until Flacco was a QB that didn’t get in the way of the defense carrying them into (and well into) the playoffs.
Joe’s has stayed out of the way, and sometimes even helped, this QB -starved franchise to four straight playoffs, 2 of which they were on the verge to going to the big show.
Iffour years ago someone asked you the question “would you give a QB 100 million dollars to help you go to the playoffs each year” There aren’t many, if any, GMs that wouldn’t have made that deal.
Nice company brees and manning who played out there entire contracts. Both of those guys took a while to win the Superbowl, year 5 sounds just about right for Flacco. Here’s hoping he breaks the bank based on what he does this year.
Ravens will sign Flacco. They are an team that is first rate. Plus, he’ll get a better deal here than anywhere else. He WILL take them to a Super Bowl.
Before we begin preparing the paperwork to nominate Joseph of Audobon for canonization, let’s keep in mind that plenty of elite quarterbacks have played out their contracts. Drew Brees has done it, twice. Peyton Manning has done it, twice
Was this comment really necessary? His agent is supposed to talk good about him, and while you named a couple of QBs that honored their contracts most players that outplay their rookie contracts are given a new deal or holdout
Flacco’s agents comments are accurate. Most players who want a new deal hold out. There are a lot more of them then players that honor their contracts. That does make Flacco and others like him that choose to play out their deal a “rare breed”
I don’t understand why you write articles saying that Ed Reed should hold out because with Suggs injury he has leverage and then make fun of Flacco for honoring his and keeping his mouth shut.
Choker, no more and no less. Any NFL caliber QB could perform as well or better than he has, he’s just nothing special.
@mancinibread, Choker? Really? I understand there are a lot of haters that lean on fantasy football a little too heavily for player’s “worth”, but Flacco is anything but a Choker. He more often than not comes through when the game is on the line. If you review most of season ending (playoff nonetheless) losses since Flacco, the miscues can be put on the shoulders of the receivers and kickers mostly, not Flacco.
I also suggest checking out the last drive of the game against the Steelers @ Pittsburgh last year, talk about a chock job.
I just can’t wait for the debate over Flacco to be over. He’s basically going to determine if he is better than what we’ve seen the last 4 years, or if he’s exactly what he’s been the last 4 years. Tired of the back
And forth. There’s a reason the ravens(regarded as one of the best at evaluating talent) haven’t signed him to a long term deal yet. And their skepticism just furthers my belief that flAcco not only hasn’t proven “it” on Sunday’s, but he’s probably showing the same lack of improvement behind the scenes at practice too.
They’ll say the politically correct things to the media, but it’s
Obvious they want to see something more before they pay him.
Flacco is the best QB the Ravens have ever had and its not even close. They are not going to let him walk or test the market under any circumstance. Truth is Flacco doesn’t need the Ravens as much as the Ravens need him. Kevin Kolb, a guy with 4 starts, got more than 60 million dollars from the Cardinals. The Chiefs gave Tom Brady’s back up 70 million. Both were far less proven and accomplished than Flacco. Some other team would easily offer him top dollar if he was available. Good starting QB’s just don’t hit the market and when they do, they get paid.
Maybe he isn’t elite, yet and he’s certainly not as great as he thinks he is but he’s not nearly as bad as some folks try to make him out to be.