Quarterback Joe Flacco gave McDonald's free publicity when he made it his first food stop after signing the biggest contract in NFL history.
Now he'll be getting paid to tout their brand.
Flacco will appear in a national television ad for McDonald's, and per The Baltimore Business Journal it is set to debut sometime in the next 10 days.
The commercial was shot in mid-July while Flacco was in Los Angeles for the ESPY Awards. He'll reportedly be pitching a new McDonald's product and will appear with a major celebrity that Flacco declined to name.
In his usual fashion, Flacco downplayed his celebrity status.
"I had the opportunity to do something over the offseason, so I just did a little thing with McDonald's," he said. "I don't know what else there is [to say]."
Flacco and McDonald's became a natural fit after the quarterback's visit to the fast-food chain in Aberdeen, Md., in March. Flacco got hungry on his way home to New Jersey, and ordered a 10-piece McNugget meal with fries and an unsweetened iced tea for $6.99 at the drive-thru.
"Maybe I should do that more times with more companies," Flacco said with a laugh.
Flacco typically hasn't been very big into endorsements, but is starting to hit the national level more after being named Super Bowl XLVII MVP. Flacco says he'll do ads if they fit into his schedule.
"I don't seek it out, but I think there's a part of everybody that likes that. I'd be lying if I didn't say that," Flacco said in July. "I think I'm a good face of the franchise. I'm not getting in trouble, I'm pretty respectful for the most part, I'm playing well."
Flacco did a national spot for FOX earlier this summer with San Francisco 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis. He posed with a bag of Haribo Gold Bears while at Super Bowl XLVII. Before that, Flacco did local endorsements with 1st Mariner Bank, Al Packer Ford, Pizza Hut and others.
ESPN Sports Business Reporter Darren Rovell said Flacco could gain some national popularity because he's authentic and a good "Average Joe."
"In the last couple years, there has been even more pushback from people with endorsements," Rovell said. "You see that with a guy like [Oklahoma City Thunder's] Kevin Durant. He's very natural and he's not overly in your face. People really believe that when he endorses it, it's good.
"Joe is along those lines. He has humility, he's real, he talks real. He's not amplified in any way. I do think being genuine does seem to count now more than ever before."
