Joe Flacco has always been considered a good quarterback, maybe even a really good quarterback. But the title of “elite” has eluded him. Since coming to the NFL during the 2008 season, he has started every game for the Baltimore Ravens. Flacco lucked into the starting spot, with an injury to the incumbent starter and the back-up QB being sick. Hetook advantage of the circumstances and kept the starting job, even after the other two QBs returned.

Flacco has the advantage of playing on an excellent Ravens team. His numbers are normally average, with a career Passer Rating of 84.5. However, he has made the playoffs six times, including in each of his first five seasons. He even won Super Bowl XLVII against the San Francisco 49ers in 2013 and was named Super Bowl MVP for his efforts in the game.

Where Flacco falls short is his inconsistency. He frequently has stretches of brilliant football, followed by strings of mediocre games. This inability to perform consistently provides skepticism for the argument against his elitism. Great quarterbacks throughout history have had bad games, but they are few and far between. In order for Joe Flacco to be considered elite, he must be able to produce consistently. Until he can do so, he will have to be content with being considered merely a good quarterback.