Joe Flacco is one of the most successful playoff quarterbacks in the history of the NFL and now he wants to be paid like one.
According to ESPN.com, Flacco's agent said on Tuesday that he feels his client should be the highest paid at the position in the NFL after winning the Super Bowl and the game's MVP award on Sunday. Agent Joe Linta in an interview with CNBC said "yes" to the question of whether Flacco should be the highest-paid quarterback in the league.
When you do a contract of this magnitude, you look at what is the player's body of work presently," Linta told CNBC. "And what are the expectations going forward over the next four, five or six years. Joe wins on both accounts."
Flacco is 28-years-old, younger than Peyton Manning, who makes $18 million and Drew Brees who makes $20 million after signing a new deal last year. Flacco now has as many championships as both of those quarterbacks. Manning is on a five-year, $96 million deal; Brees has a five-year, $100 million contract, while three time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady has a five-year, $78.5 million deal.
Flacco had one of his best professional seasons and was stellar in the playoffs, tying Joe Montana by throwing 11 touchdowns and zero interceptions. He threw for 1,140 yards over four postseason victories, including 287 yards and three touchdowns in the Super Bowl. During the regular-season, Flacco threw for 3,817 yards with 22 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while completing 59.7 percent of his passes.
News reports came out last week that Flacco was looking for a mega-deal and that was before he became a Super Bowl champion. Flacco had the chance to take an extension from the Ravens before the season started, but instead he put the onus on himself to perform and he now has the leverage over the team after being named MVP in New Orleans.
Last week, according to Yahoo Sports, reports said that Flacco is looking to negotiate a new contract that will pay him $20 million per season. He is set to be a free agent when the year ends and is in the last year of a five-year, $29.75 million contract.
The Ravens could use the franchise tag on him and pay approximately $14.6 million, but Flacco is looking for a new deal after setting a record by starting and winning a playoff game in each of his first five seasons. Flacco hasn't always been the most accurate quarterback as a pro and has never completed more than 63 percent of his passes in any season, but he proved how valuable he is to Baltimore during the playoffs.
Negotiations with the Ravens are expected to begin soon and although the team has some cap issues, they likely will be able to get the deal done. One of the biggest issues for the Ravens will be wideout Anquan Boldin, who has just one year left on his contract and was one of the best players for the Ravens in the Super Bowl.
"I assume everybody thinks they're a top-five quarterback," Flacco said to ESPN.com when asked where he thinks he ranks among NFL quarterbacks. "I mean, I think I'm the best. I don't think I'm top five, I think I'm the best. I don't think I'd be very successful at my job if I didn't feel that way. I mean, c'mon? That's not really too tough of a question. That doesn't mean that things are going to work out that way. It just means that's the way it is -- that's the way I feel that it is and that's the way I feel it should be."
Flacco was a first round pick out of Delaware for the Ravens and he has the most wins (postseason and regular) of any quarterback over the past five years. Last season Flacco threw for 3,610 yards and 20 touchdowns, but had 12 interceptions while completing just 57 percent of his passes, one of the lowest in the league. In his first three seasons Flacco completed over 60 percent of his passes each year, but also threw 34 interceptions.
HERE are some interesting stats about the Super Bowl and Flacco, as well as links to some of the best commercials from the game, including the Go Daddy and Coke ads and the NFL Network's Deion Sanders commercial.
