Joe Flacco Says Final Months With Ravens Were 'Miserable,' Believes He Can Take Broncos To Super Bowl
DENVER (WJZ) -- Former Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco repeatedly expressed his excitement over his fresh start with the Denver Broncos during his introductory press conference on Friday, but he admitted that the final few months on the bench in Baltimore wasn't exactly a memorable experience. In fact, it was flat out "miserable," he told reporters.
"If I have to reflect back on that time in Baltimore it was not very fun. It was miserable sitting there on the bench and not being able to contribute and not really feeling like you're a part of the team," said Flacco. "But, if that is what it takes to be in this situation right now and be as excited as I am and my family is, then that is what it takes."
Flacco of course spent the final seven games of the season as the backup for the Ravens behind rookie Lamar Jackson, who took the job when Flacco was forced out of the lineup due to injury. There were some who called for him to be re-inserted into the lineup at halftime of the team's loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card Round. However, head coach John Harbaugh stuck with Jackson and made it clear after the loss that Jackson would be the starter moving forward.
Entering his age 34 season, Flacco joins a Broncos team that went 6-10 last season. Broncos president of football operations/general manager John Elway told the media in his introduction that he believes Flacco is "the perfect fit for us" and is a quarterback who is "really just coming into his prime." Elway cited Flacco's record number of playoff road wins along with the unforgettable "Mile High Miracle" 70-yard touchdown pass to Jacoby Jones in Denver during the divisional playoffs in January 2013.
Flacco agreed with Elway's assessment and pointed to Tom Brady, who at 41 is proving that quarterbacks have longer shelf lives than many believe. He told reporters that when Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta called him to tell him he was traded to Denver, both he and his wife had big smiles on their faces. Now he says his goal is to take the Broncos to the Super Bowl and bring the Lombardi Trophy back to Denver -- a feat that would certainly cause quite a stir back in Baltimore.
