Joe Flacco's knee is a whole lot better now than it was a year ago, but he's still going to take one precaution.
The Ravens quarterback said he will still wear a brace on his left knee this season.
"I was not mad at myself for getting hurt and not having one on," Flacco said. "But if I was to get hurt again and not have one on, I would be mad at myself."
Flacco's ACL was torn on Nov. 22, 2015 when a St. Louis Rams defender knocked tackle James Hurst back into the quarterback.
Flacco recovered in time for the start of last season, and said his knee felt totally fine throughout the year. The only scare, however, was caused by the knee brace.
Flacco attempted a slide during a Week 9 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers last season, but he awkwardly hit the turf and his knee brace bent backwards, scaring onlookers and Head Coach John Harbaugh. Flacco hopped off the field, got a new brace and quickly returned to the game.
"I don't think the brace impedes me," Flacco said. "The only thing that it really affects is my sliding. I just have to work on that a little bit."
Flacco grinned when he said he might have to work on his slide. That became a source of conversation around Baltimore last year, especially after Flacco had another clunky slide, which he again blamed on the brace, later in the season.
Prior to having a brace, Flacco took pride in his pop-up slide that he said looked "pretty sweet." He would even make fun of other quarterbacks for their awkward slides. Now, he must either adjust his slide or find a different brace.
"I'm going to think about maybe trying another one out or something like that – maybe seeing if I can smooth over the outside of it a little bit," Flacco said. "I doubt I will be able to do anything, but I have enough time to look into it."
