Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco has made the playoffs in each of his five seasons in the NFL and now has a Super Bowl ring and MVP award under his belt as well.
According to Brian A. Shactman of CNBC, Flacco’s agent, Joe Linta, will be looking to leverage that success into a massive payday for his client. Linta told Shactman he believes Flacco should be the highest paid quarterback in the NFL.
“When you do a contract of this magnitude, you look at what is the player’s body of work presently,” Linta said. “And what are the expectations going forward over the next four, five or six years.
“Joe wins on both accounts.”
In order for that to become a reality, the Ravens will need to pay Flacco at least $20 million a year. Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning made $18 million this season while New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees averages $20 million a year.
As Shactman points out, Flacco has won as many Super Bowls as Manning and Brees and is the youngest quarterback of the group. Linta is likely to make the argument that Flacco has accomplished just as much as Manning and Brees and is just entering the prime of his career.
It appears likely the Ravens will have to use the exclusive franchise tag on Flacco in order to ensure he will remain with the Ravens next season. A deal of this size likely will not be completed by the deadline to designate franchise players on March 4. The franchise tag alone would likely bring $20 million a year to Flacco.