Ravens Coach John Harbaugh Says QB Joe Flacco Should Be Paid Whatever He Wants

AP Photo/Gail Burton

Joe Flacco is entering the final year of his rookie deal with the Baltimore Ravens and still has to deal with critics who feel he can’t win the big game or be an elite quarterback.

Flacco wants it to be known he is dead serious this season about being elite. He took the first steps Monday night, leading the Ravens in an obliteration of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Flacco was 21-of-29 for 299 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Head coach John Harbaugh was so excited about his franchise quarterbacks performance that he let it be known.

Harbaugh told the Baltimore Sun that the Ravens should pay him now.

“Pay the man. Pay him whatever he want. We’ve always stood up here, and we’ve always, all our coaches, the organization, we know what we’ve got in this guy. Of course he is [elite]. He is a winner. He is one of the toughest quarterbacks I have ever been around. He’s the best quarterback I’ve ever been around.”

In my opinion the barometer is Houston Texans' Matt Schaub’s four-year, $62 million deal that was made on Sunday. That should be the base of negotiations.

If Flacco can pull more out the Ravens, more power to him.

Glenn Erby is a NFL writer for FootBasket. He also owns the NFL blog, Tha Cover 2. You can read more about him over there. Follow him on Twitter @thacover2.