Joe Flacco Says He Isn't Worried About Ravens Taking a QB in 2018 NFL Draft

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco won't be too concerned if the Ravens select another QB early in the 2018 NFL draft. 

"It is what it is. It's a business," Flacco said Tuesday, per ESPN.com's Jamison Hensley. "Eventually, at some point, that's going to have to happen. It's not really for me to worry about."

Flacco threw for 3,141 yards, 18 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 2017. Football Outsiders ranked him 32nd in DYAR (defense-adjusted yards above replacement) among qualified quarterbacks.

Since signing his six-year extension in 2013, Flacco has an 82.1 passer rating, which ranks 32nd among the 33 quarterbacks with at least 1,000 pass attempts between 2013 and 2017, according to Pro Football Reference.

In theory, the 2018 draft would be a good time to select Flacco's replacement. But Flacco's contract makes a QB change difficult for Baltimore.

Cutting Flacco this offseason is basically a nonstarter because the financial consequences would be so significant. Even if the Ravens were to make Flacco a post-June 1 cut in 2019, they'd save $18.5 million but still have $16 million in dead money ($8 million apiece in 2019 and 2020), per Spotrac.

On balance, that's still not a ton of savings for Baltimore.

Not to mention, the Ravens would create a possible headache for themselves if they selected a passer in the draft this offseason to ultimately be Flacco's replacement.

Either they bench a quarterback who has started 154 games and spent his entire career with the Ravens—thus potentially alienating his teammates—or they have to resist calls from their fans to make a switch right away. 

By giving Flacco a three-year extension in 2016, the Ravens essentially tied their hands in the event they actually needed to go in a different direction at quarterback.