Joe Flacco's agent still has a few days before he'll meet with Ravens officials at the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine to discuss a new deal for his client, but that didn't prevent him from revealing one of his main negotiating chips in a Wednesday interview with The Baltimore Sun.
"If the game is about wins and losses, he has to be in the top five (quarterbacks)," Joe Linta said of Flacco, who has gone 44-20 in four seasons and led the Ravens to two AFC Championship Game appearances.
"He is a player who has been extremely durable, never missed a game. And he's done something that no one has ever done. In his four years in the league, he has never missed a game and has more wins than any other quarterback."
Before Linta's interview with The Sun, a league source told NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora that the agent and the Ravenswill begin negotiating Flacco's contract extension next week while in Indianapolis. The source said the Ravens are committed to keeping Flacco, and the quarterback hopes to sign a long-term deal this offseason.
Linta told the Sun he is scheduled to meet with Ravens vice president of football administration Pat Moriarty, but added he only anticipates a brief chat.
"We're not going to have a press conference next Saturday to announce his extension," Linta quipped. "In order to do Joe Flacco's contract extension, we have to start somewhere. And that's sitting down and chatting, and that's what we're doing."
