Why the Broncos believe Joe Flacco is more than a bridge quarterback

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Joe Flacco.

In some circles, that name reminds people of a player who was benched just last year for a quarterback whose biggest offseason task is learning to become a passer.

In others, he’s viewed as a Super Bowl-winning quarterback.

Both, in fact, are true.

And because of that, there’s been a divide among Broncos’ fans in how they feel about their new signal caller. Inside of the facility in Englewood, however, there’s a strong consensus about their new QB.

Joe is the guy. He’s their guy. He’s the answer at the most important position in all of sports.

“We’re thrilled that you’re here,” John Elway said, as he introduced his newest quarterback in the same room he introduced Peyton Manning seven years before.

“Joe’s the perfect fit for us—the fact that he’s a winner, he’s played in a lot of big games, and he has a lot of good football left in him at 34 years old. We feel like he’s just really coming into his prime. We’re excited about the fact that he’s going to be our quarterback and think that, like I said, he’s a perfect fit for us.”

The Broncos don’t just view Flacco as a Super Bowl winner, they believe he’s just entering the prime of his career.

“It feels good because I definitely feel that way. It feels good to hear somebody say that,” Flacco said. “I really just think that I am the guy.”

Optimistic? Without a doubt. But there’s something to it, too.

Last year, in the first nine games of the season, Flacco was off to one the best statistical start of his career, tossing 12 touchdowns to six interceptions. Then, an injury placed him on the sidelines, before Lamar Jackson grabbed the job and wouldn’t let go, keeping Flacco on the bench for the remainder of the season.

Should there be injury concerns then?

Not at the spry age of 34, according to John.

“At 34 years old, we feel like he’s really got a lot more football left in him. We’re excited that he’s coming here,” Elway said over and over again, reinforcing the idea that Flacco has plenty left in the tank. “Getting a guy that I believe, at 34 years old, is still very young at the position that he’s playing.”

Don’t ask if Flacco will finish out his three-year contract in Denver, ask how long his next contract will be for.

And there’s justification for that, too. The average age of Denver’s Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks is 38—Elway brought home the Lombardi at 37 and 38, and Peyton added his at 39.

Much like Manning, Flacco rarely missed any games due to injury, or for that matter any reason, until the season before joining the Broncos. In his first 10 seasons in the league, the 6-foot-6 quarterback missed a total of six games—all in 2015 when he tore his ACL and MCL, yet finished the game and led the Ravens to a game-winning field goal.

“I mean, shoot, with Tom Brady now, quarterbacks are playing until they’re about 60-years old,” Flacco joked, while highlighting he doesn’t believe he’s entering the twilight of his career. “I’m as healthy as I’ve ever been and I’m as physical as I’ve ever been. Obviously, any time something crazy can happen, but barring anything crazy happening, I’m as healthy as I can be and as physical and as ready to go as ever. I’m excited about what lies ahead for me and my future.”

Last year, six quarterbacks above the age of 34 finished in the top half of the league in passer rating. While Patrick Mahomes, Carson Wentz, and Deshaun Watson are leading the new wave of NFL quarterbacks, the older guys aren’t giving in just yet.

And the Broncos are putting their eggs in the basket of experience.

“Joe has won over 100 games as a starting quarterback in the NFL, and that includes the most road playoff wins in NFL history with seven,” Elway explained, laying out his best case for his new quarterback. “If we recall, there was one four or five years ago that was pretty painful here in Denver. Hopefully, we’ll have a lot more of those miracles on our side rather than against us. Anyway, with that being said, we’re confident that he’s a guy that can come in and get us turned around.

Well, what else is Elway going to say, some may think.

Actually, in 2016, when the Broncos traded for Mark Sanchez, Elway let the unhappy fans know that this was just the first move the team was going to make at the quarterback position. Not necessarily a ringing endorsement and far from the rhetoric Elway glowingly dished out about Flacco.

Additionally, BSN Denver learned that behind the scenes the belief in Flacco is even stronger than Elway’s publicly stated, as folks within the organization view him as a guy who can be a top-10 quarterback.

Could the Broncos still draft a quarterback at No. 10 overall? Sure.

Could they move on from him after this year in pursuit of another veteran or quarterback in the draft? His ultra-team-friendly contract would certainly allow that.

But that’s not the plan for a team that believes they have a top-10 quarterback with many, many years left in the tank.

“I’m not putting a number on how much time I’ve got left to play,” Flacco said, not placing a timeline on his career. “I want to play as long as I can, and hopefully they’re dragging me out of this building a long time from now.”

The Broncos don’t just hope so too, Joe. They’re planning on it.