Numbers say it’s time to pay him
Fresh off a Super Bowl victory and capturing the game’s MVP trophy while playing in the last year of his rookie contract, Baltimore Ravens QB Joe Flacco’s agent believes his client should be the highest-paid quarterback in the league.
Joe Linta, Flacco’s agent, told CNBC he believes his client’s body of work has spoken for itself and now it’s time for the Ravens to pay him accordingly.
Of course, it’s an agent’s job to try to secure the most money possible for his client, but Linta makes some solid arguments for Flacco to be rewarded handsomely in his next deal.
“When you do a contract of this magnitude, you look at what the player’s body of work presently, and what are the expectations going forward over the next four, five, six years. Joe wins on both accounts,” Linta told CNBC.
Flacco now has as many career playoff victories as Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning. He has as many Super Bowl titles as both Manning and New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees. Joe Montana is the only other quarterback to record 11 touchdowns and 0 interceptions in the playoffs during a single season.
Some will argue that Flacco struggled during the regular season and he didn’t throw for as many yards as Manning or Brees. However, Flacco was hamstrung under former Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. Once Jim Caldwell assumed the role of offensive coordinator, Flacco’s effectiveness increased.
Flacco also plays in an offensive system that doesn’t really require him to put the ball up as many times as Manning or Brees. Flacco attempted 531 passes this year, while Manning attempted 583 and Brees threw 670 passes.
The other issue to take into account here is age. Flacco just turned 28. Brees recently turned 34 while Manning will turn 37 in March.