The Baltimore Ravens have lost several of their leaders to free agency, trade and retirement this offseason. Ray Lewis has been the clear-cut leader of the team for over a decade, and Baltimore’s locker room is sure to be much quieter with guys like him and Ed Reed no longer around. That’s why Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti is looking for Joe Flacco to step up and fill the void.
“You are the leader now, like it or not,” Bisciotti told Flacco on Friday night, via the team’s official website.
While Flacco has never been seen as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, his resume speaks louder than his statistics. He is the only quarterback to ever reach the postseason in his first five seasons and win at least one game every time. He has also played in three AFC championships and won a Super Bowl, all before the age of 29.
“Not many guys do what you did in five years,” Bisciotti said. “Not many did it your way. Not many like the way you do it. But I said at the end-of-the-year press conference after last year’s [AFC championship] defeat, that I think the fans of Baltimore will be rewarded by your low-key presence, and it will stand the test of time. Indeed it did, and we all hope it continues to do that.”
Flacco will have a tough time changing his personality, and the team shouldn’t want him to. His own father basically called him a dud earlier this year, but that’s one of the characteristics that helps him perform well under pressure. A $120 million contract says Flacco should be a leader, but don’t expect him to do it by screaming at his teammates before games. That’s just not his style.
