Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco strolled onto the court at Torrey Smith's charity basketball game Saturday and took a few casual jump shots before settling into his spot on the bench.
Flacco didn't play in the game as he continues to rehab from a torn ACL in his left knee, but he walked without any noticeable limp and showed he's making progress in his recovery.
"I can't complain," Flacco said. "I'm getting better and better each week."
The 31-year-old quarterback suffered the injury on Nov. 22, ending his season and forcing him to miss games for the first time in his eight-year career. The Ravens have said that the expectation is for Flacco to return in time for training camp, and he is optimistic about that happening.
"To be honest with you, I believe [I'm on track for training camp], but it's not like I've been told a timeline or anything like that. I can't really say one way or another," he said. "I can tell each week that by the end of the week I'm feeling sore and I'm hurting, and by the next Monday I'm feeling better than I did last Monday."
When Flacco does get back on the field, he'll have some new targets at his disposal. The Ravens invested around him this offseason by signing wide receiver Mike Wallace and tight end Benjamin Watson.
Wallace told reporters after signing his contract last month that Flacco was one of the main attractions in coming to Baltimore, and the quarterback has high hopes for what the speedy wideout will bring to the offense.
"I plan on him having a huge impact," Flacco said. "I think he's a talented guy. He can run, he can catch, he can do a lot of things. I'm planning on him coming in here and having a big impact on our football team and helping us win a lot of games."
In addition to signing Wallace and Watson, the Ravens also picked up Pro Bowl safety Eric Weddle. With those acquisitions and the influx of incoming draft picks, Flacco expects the Ravens to get back in position to compete for a playoff spot in 2016.
"I felt like we had a good football team last year, we just weren't able to put it together and win games," Flacco said. "There's a lot that goes into winning football games in the NFL, so we have a lot of work to do, but I think we're going to have a good foundation to start with, and have the ability to win a lot of games this year."
