Make no mistake about it, Joe Flacco is the new leader of the Ravens.
Owner Steve Bisciotti made that point abundantly clear during Friday night's Super Bowl XLVII ring ceremony at the Under Armour Performance Center.
"You are the leader now, like it or not," Bisciotti said to Flacco during his speech to the organization.
Flacco is the new face of the Ravens.
The sixth-year quarterback and Super Bowl MVP has taken over the reins of leadership from defensive stalwarts Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. Flacco has established himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, and Bisciotti has trusted him as the leader of the football team.
Flacco's success during his five years in Baltimore has been unprecedented. He's the only quarterback in NFL history to make the playoffs in his first five seasons and win at least one playoff game in each of those years. He's led the Ravens to three AFC championships and a Super Bowl win.
Flacco tied Joe Montana as the only quarterback in league history to throw 11 touchdowns and no interceptions in the playoffs.
The laid-back Flacco often comes under scrutiny for his personality, but Bisciotti praised him for staying true to himself.
"Not many guys do what you did in five years. Not many did it your way," Bisciotti said. "Not many like the way you do it. But I said at the end-of-the-year press conference after last year's [AFC championship] defeat, that I think the fans of Baltimore will be rewarded by your low-key presence, and it will stand the test of time. Indeed it did, and we all hope it continues to do that."
Bisciotti also joked about Flacco's six-year, $120.6 million contract, saying that Flacco's wife Dana promised the couple named their first child Steven after him.
Flacco also praised Bisciotti, and said that getting referenced in the owner's speech was an honor for him.
"It was pretty cool," Flacco said. "Steve is an awesome dude, a great owner and this is a great organization. You can see how special of a night this is and how over-the-top they went for it. I think that just says a lot about him and obviously I'm honored that he would bring me up."
