Denver Broncos general manager John Elway feels good about his newly acquired and aging quarterback.
The NFL Hall of Famer may believe that Joe Flacco is just entering his prime now, according to a report.
“Elway told me that at 34 years old, Flacco’s just getting into his prime,” NFL Network reporter James Palmer said on-air.
The Ravens sent Flacco to Denver in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2019 draft. The trade only became official on Wednesday when the new league year started.
Palmer also noted that Gary Kubiak’s familiarity with the quarterback also helped the Broncos come to the conclusion. He was Flacco’s offensive coordinator in Baltimore during the 2014 season.
Flacco played in just nine games for the Ravens last season before suffering a hip injury and ceding the starting job to rookie Lamar Jackson.
Elway had his own late-career success with the Broncos, winning both his Super Bowls in the final two years of his career. He retired after being named the Super Bowl MVP in 1999 as a 38-year-old.
The trade was widely ridiculed when it was announced last month. Elvis Dumervil, who spent time on the Broncos and was Flacco’s teammate on the Ravens, said the one-time Super Bowl MVP might “fail miserably” on his new team.
“It’s a big gamble — definitely desperate, no doubt,” Dumervil said of the trade.