What does it mean to be elite? How does one become elite? How does one stay elite? Are there tiers to elite?
These are the types of questions that have followed around Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco for his entire career. At some point, people became obsessed with wondering if Flacco had reached this mythical level of production. Then he played out of his mind on a run to the Super Bowl and his eliteness was affirmed.
Now, three years after that Super Bowl glory and coming off a serious knee injury, the question to rule all 21st century NFL queries persists: So yeah, Joe Flacco ... that dude elite?
Flacco hasn't missed a rep in practice at training camp, but recently acknowledged his knee isn't 100 percent following surgery to repair a torn ACL. Ravens tight end Crockett Gillmore was asked Wednesday whether he can see a difference in Flacco before and after the injury.
"He's still elite, if that's what your question is," Gillmore replied, via The Baltimore Sun.
Phew. This ends an elite update on the latest edition of Joe Flacco: Um, Elite?