Former Colts QB May Have Earned More Than His Worth

The Indianapolis Colts showed how much they value the backup quarterback position when they signed Joe Flacco last year on a one-year, $4.5 million deal to secure his services. While the Colts were hoping not to need a backup often, he ended up starting six games in relief of an injured Anthony Richardson.

Flacco's $4.5 million contract isn't much by NFL standards, but what he's leveraged in his NFL career is astonishing given his numbers and overall career, minus the lone Super Bowl XLVII championship in 2013.

ESPN's Bill Barnwell discusses the immense money Flacco has made over his NFL career, calling the former Baltimore Raven a 'Bag' Hall of Famer on several accounts.

Flacco's time in Indy is a footnote, but his time leading the Ravens' offense is what he'll be known most for. During that stretch, he consistently appeared in the playoffs behind a solid ground game and elite defense, finishing with a 96-67 record.

As Barnwell mentions, it was Flacco's Super Bowl victory, MVP award, and incredible playoff run that he leveraged into a massive six-year, $120,600,000 deal following the Super Bowl victory.

"Flacco and his representation were able to extract what was, at the time, the richest deal in NFL history. The Ravens signed Flacco to a six-year, $120.6 million contract. Before the season, the ceiling for Flacco's negotiations was two franchise tags, which would have paid him about $33 million for two years. Instead, after his Super Bowl success, they paid him $51 million over two seasons and practically guaranteed another $11 million."