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Matthew Stafford’s deal puts Joe Flacco’s contract in perspective

By Chris Schisler

NEW ORLEANS, LA - FEBRUARY 03: Joe Flacco #5 of the Baltimore Ravens reacts against the San Francisco 49ers during Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on February 3, 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Ravens won 34-31. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - FEBRUARY 03: Joe Flacco #5 of the Baltimore Ravens reacts against the San Francisco 49ers during Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on February 3, 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Ravens won 34-31. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /
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Joe Flacco was once the highest paid man in football. That time is gone. Quarterback contracts keep going up:

Joe Flacco signed a $120.6 million contract after beating the San Francisco 49ers. It has been one of the most heavily criticized contracts in professional football. While Joe Flacco hasn’t lived up to the money, his contract was inevitable. Here was a player who was fresh off his run as Super Bowl MVP. Here was a player who threw 11 touchdowns and no interceptions in a majestic playoff run, one that he kept alive with a majestic 70 yard pass to Jacoby Jones. Joe Flacco had gotten the Ravens to three AFC Championship games, one of them in his rookie campaign. Flacco was just the beginning of the quarterback mayhem.

https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/902353429833666565

When a quarterback becomes the highest paid player, another quarterback is going to come for that title quickly. Just ask Derek Carr, whose rein as the top paid guy didn’t even last months. Matthew Stafford is one of the most prolific passers in the NFL, but it’s hard to find anyone who puts him up there with Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers. Just as the case was for Flacco in 2012, that’s the quarterback market for you.

Stafford is 0-3 in the playoffs. Derek Carr has never played in a playoff game. The arrow is pointed up for Stafford and Carr, who are two of the most entertaining players in football. Flacco’s been in a purgatory like slump since winning it all (with the exception of 2014); however his resume is still the most impressive of this bunch. He’s out gunned Peyton Manning and Tom Brady to get to the Super Bowl. Flacco’s beat Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers in Pittsburgh, during the 2014 playoffs.

The Bottom Line:

Joe Flacco’s contract is no longer up for debate. Whether you like it or not, that is the kind of money quarterbacks are getting. No team wants their franchise quarterback to hit the open market. The franchise tag for a quarterback is astronomically high, Kirk Cousins is happy about that too. These deals keep getting bigger and bigger, and that’s not stopping anytime soon.

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Hopefully Flacco can get it going and his play will merit his contract. Flacco’s contract is huge not because he is a great quarterback, but because he is an accomplished quarterback. In a league where you need a quarterback you can depend on, Flacco is valuable. Remember Josh McCown is the starting quarterback of the New York Jets. It can get much worse than Flacco, and a better quarterback may not come a long for a very long time.

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