Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports[/caption]It looks like Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco made a good decision to postpone talk of a new contract until the NFL season came to an end. With the Ravens edging the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl, and Flacco being named the game’s MVP, he’s definitely got a lot more bargaining power now.
Flacco was superb in the showdown with San Francisco by passing for 287 yards and going 22-for-33. He threw three touchdown passes in the first half and proved he’s one of the best at his position in the league. He became just the sixth quarterback in history to complete three touchdown passes in the first half of a Super Bowl and could now cash in on his performance.
During the post-season, he threw for 11 touchdowns to equal an NFL record, and he wasn’t intercepted once. He gained 1,140 yards for the Ravens and went 73-for-126 in their playoff run. He also beat Tom Brady and Peyton Manning when they went head-to-head on the road against New England and Denver. He also bettered top draft pick Andrew Luck in a home-win over Indianapolis.
Flacco, who’s been in the league for five years now, wasn’t as spectacular in the regular season, though. His passer-rating was just 87.7, which was 12th in the 32-team league. He was quite a distance behind Aaron Rodgers, who ranked at the top with a 108.0 rating.
Flacco threw for 22 touchdowns during the regular season as well as 10 interceptions, which ranked him in the middle of the pack. However, when the stakes got higher in the playoffs, he rose to the challenge. His overall post-season record now stands at 9-4, and he has won at least one playoff game in each of his five seasons.
The quarterback’s contract is expired now and he could be in for a huge raise in pay. Some experts feel he could land a deal worth about $20 million per season.
Flacco said he feels he can come to an agreement with the Ravens, even though he’s eligible to test the free agency waters. But even if he doesn’t come to an a long-term agreement with the team, Baltimore may designate him as their franchise player.
Flacco said Baltimore’s a great franchise and city, but you just never know how contract negotiations may turn out. He said crazy things have happened in the past, but he has a feeling that there won’t be any major problems in signing a new deal.
That may not be exactly true though, since Flacco could be looking for a contract that will see him earn more than Manning and would come close to the $20 million a year type of deal that Drew Brees makes.
If Baltimore designated Flacco as the team’s non-exclusive franchise player, it would cost them in the region of about $14.6 million a season. They could also designate him as the exclusive franchise player for approximately $20 million.
Whatever happens with the 28-year-old, whether he re-signs with the Ravens or ends up somewhere else as a free agent, his playoff work is bound to see him land a pretty large contract.
