As of recent, the Baltimore Ravens have been privy to a number of tensions concerning players, both intentional and unintentional. Of these newfound tensions, there is one that stands out amongst the clutter: Joe Flacco‘s placement as the starting quarterback for the Ravens.

Before the game, Lamar Jackson had been selected as quarterback in the NFL draft. Flacco, however, still claimed the position of starting quarterback, and planned to play with newfound fervor. According to ESPN, Flacco’s response to criticism came with confidence and stubbornness, reminiscent of the toughest points of his time spent professionally playing football.

Flacco‘s attitude had caused others, including teammates, to believe that the drafting of Jackson has acted as a powerful motivation for Flacco. He had performed at his best in the training camp, ranking as the best-rated quarterback of the preseason.

Flacco doesn’t believe that the motivation is necessarily what has been helping him. He does acknowledge the strength of motivation, but that‘s as far as he goes, as he describes: “But even if I was motivated by that, it’s not something that would last. That‘s not the kind of motivation that gets you through anything significant.”

This newfound situation may act as a boon for Flacco, as history has proven that Flacco, when pushed up against a corner with a challenge to overcome, performs at his absolute best.

During his time in college, Flacco had transferred to Delaware and soon became a first-round pick. Entering into the 2012 season, Flacco became the Super Bowl MVP and the NFL’s highest-paid player. Now, the Ravens had taken a quarterback in the first round for the first time since Flacco had been drafted in 2008.

Following this news, Flacco produced a passer rating of 121.7 on Sunday, which stands as the seventh-best rating of his career and his current highest in the last four years.

Others share the opinion that Jackson has nothing to do with Flacco’s drive, and he is spurred only by the goal to play well. Flacco’s agent, Joe Linta, believes that Flacco’s only focus is on himself and what he does has no connection to Jackson’s arrival.

As for the Ravens, the big concern with Flacco is his injuries during play. Flacco had missed the last six games of the season in 2015 when he had torn his ACL and MCL in his left knee. The next year, he sat out during all of the spring offseason workouts for recovery. Then, in 2017, a back injury had left him out throughout all of the training camp.

As of now, Flacco’s future in his career remains unclear. He could be cut at the end of the season, or may be traded depending on his performance in the games.

<Heejae Park/ OCSA/11th>