OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Joe Flacco isn't elite. He's overpaid and he's not a passionate leader.
These are the criticisms that have dogged Flacco throughout his up-and-down 11-year career with the Baltimore Ravens. The one knock you'll never hear is a lack of professionalism.
In the most humbling moment of his professional life, Flacco handled his benching with class. He expressed disappointment about the decision but didn't complain about losing his job to injury. Flacco even complimented Lamar Jackson and insisted he'll remain prepared because he didn't want to do a disservice to his teammates in the midst of a playoff run.