Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) tries to avoid Cleveland Browns Joe Haden (26) during in the fourth quarter of their NFL football game in Cleveland, Ohio December 26, 2010. REUTERS/Aaron Josefczyk (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)
Joe Flacco expressed some disappointed on Saturday that the Ravens aren’t planning to begin long-term contract talks with him until after the 2011 season. He told the Baltimore Sun that he would like talks to start this year.
“I think I’ve established myself,” Flacco said at Haruki Nakamura’s Japan relief charity event at Ripken Stadium Saturday. “If you’re not confident with who I am, I’m not sure what a year is going to make.”
Flacco added, “Ideally for me, I would like to start talks this year. Next year, I feel like they would have to throw something in front of me that’s going to be pretty legit in order for me to not play out my fifth year. If you don’t sign me this year, you’re making me play a whole year of my contract with no security. If you want to sign me after next year, what’s playing six more months.”
“Ideally for me, I would like to do something as soon as possible because I feel like I deserve it,” Flacco said. “If you don’t feel like I’m going to be your quarterback for the next 10 years, what’s one year going to make. I don’t know what the deal is. We’ll have to let this play out and see.”
“Personally and for what I’ve done, you would think they would feel comfortable with me,” he said. “Not that signing something next year wouldn’t say we feel comfortable with you. But the problem with that is you’ve just made me play another year.”
“I would feel that after three years, you can make a decision on whether you want me to be your future quarterback or whether you don’t. It’s your decision,” Flacco said. “I wish and hope they would do what they want me to do, which is stay here. Obviously, I want to stay here no matter what. I would want them to do something as early as possible.”
Flacco does raise some good points although in the Ravens’ defense, there are many teams that wait until a player is heading into the final year of his contract before approaching extension talks. It’s in teams’ best interest to wait as long as possible before heading to the negotiating table, just in case an injury occurs.
Of course, that doesn’t give Flacco peace of mind. He deserves a new deal and although he needs to show some patience because of the CBA mess, it would behoove the Ravens to make their young quarterback happy. As Flacco noted, if he’s the guy that Baltimore wants under center for the next 7-10 years, then lock him up and show him you’re committed to him financially.
