Flacco declares he’ll be ready

Quarterback isn’t limited at practice just six days after concussion from hit by Alonso

Just six days after suffering a concussion, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco was on the practice field Wednesday and wasn’t limited in working on handoffs and throwing to his receivers.

He then stood in front of his locker after the workout and eliminated any ambiguity about whether he’ll be ready to play Sunday when the Ravens (4-4) face the Tennessee Titans (4-3) at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.

“I feel real good, definitely ready to go,” Flacco said. “I honestly felt good pretty quick after it all happened.”

Flacco was put in concussion protocol after taking a high shoulder/forearm to the head from Miami Dolphins linebacker Kiko Alonso as he slid after a 9-yard run in the second quarter of the Ravens’ 40-0 victory last Thursday. He has passed the necessary tests and was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice.

The only visible sign he’d recently been the victim of a high hit were the stitches, covered by tape, on his left ear. Alonso’s hit knocked Flacco’s helmet off and left him with a bloody ear in addition to the concussion.

“My ear is whatever. I don’t really feel it. It’s not like there’s anything brushing up against it. I just have a couple of stitches in it, but my ear doesn’t feel bad or anything,” Flacco said. “It’s not really that big of a deal. I guess my helmet could get ripped off again and that might matter a little bit, but really who cares? It’s just a little bit of blood.”

Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Monday that there was a good chance Flacco would play against the Titans. Now, there appears to be no doubt that will be the case barring Flacco experiencing a setback.

Flacco said it was his first concussion and he maintained that he hasn’t experienced any concussion symptoms, such as dizzi-

ness or headaches, since shortly after the hit happened.

“I remember getting hit, standing up, looking down at my chinstrap. A little foggy about a couple things after that, but once I had time to sit down and gather my thoughts a little bit, I felt pretty good,” Flacco said. “I’ve never had anything happen like that before. Never even had a mild concussion or anything like that. I think I’ve been pretty fortunate, honestly, to not have to deal with anything like this. And even in this situation, I feel pretty fortunate. I feel like it could have been a lot worse and I don’t think it ever got to that point. … I felt good pretty quickly afterward and haven’t really felt anything since.”

Flacco has missed just six games in his 10-year career. All six came during the 2015 season when he tore the ACL and MCL in his left knee in November. He had surgery in December and was back on the field seven months later when the Ravens started training camp before the 2016 season. He hasn’t missed a game since, and he’s playing this season through a back injury that sidelined him throughout the preseason.

His toughness and durability have long been lauded by teammates, who didn’t seem surprised to see the quarterback back on the practice field.

“We know Joe is tough. He’s taken hits before — I don’t think any like that, none to the dome — but he was able to shake it off and get back out there again,” rush linebacker Terrell Suggs said. “It was good to have the four days off, though, to get him back [and] get his senses back.”

What was striking, though, was Flacco’s nonchalance about the incident. He said he held no ill will toward Alonso and he acknowledged that they exchanged text messages the day after the game. While he said he’s slid in a similar manner on a number of occasions and not gotten hit like that, he said it is often “unavoidable” for defensive players on plays like that.

He also conceded that in the past, he might have tried to play through the injury or talk his way back into the game. The Ravens, however, ruled Flacco out at halftime.

“I think when you’re a player in my position, if this was high school, I probably would have went and sat on the bench and gathered myself for a couple of minutes and went back out there and played defense,” Flacco said. “It’s just one of these things where you have to trust your judgment. … A lot of times I’d probably be telling people to go back to the bench and let me stay out there, but I do remember thinking to myself when I got up and looked down, like, ‘All right, you’re a little more messed up than normal. Just do what they tell you to do and get off the field.’ You’ve got to leave it in their hands with things like this.”

Asked whether he’d be hesitant to run the ball on a third-and-10 in the future, Flacco said: “No, I don’t care. What are you going to do? Sometimes you get hit and sometimes you get knocked out, I guess. That’s just part of the game.”

He also was dismissive of how difficult it was for his family to have to keep watching replays of the hit, which left Flacco getting up wearily and with blood dripping from his ear.

“Once they find out that I’m OK, it’s probably not that big of a deal to see it,” Flacco said. “It’s football. People get hit all the time.

“That’s why people love this sport. On Monday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, they get to turn this sport on and you get to watch people go to battle. That’s what separates this sport for fans and players. At any points, our careers could be ended because of the physicality of this game. No matter what you do, or the rules you put in place, people are going to always get hurt. We wear helmets for a reason.”