Baltimore Ravens' Joe Flacco to be highest-paid player in NFL history

Joe Flacco will have a huge new contract to go along with his Super Bowl ring.

The Baltimore Ravens have reached a tentative agreement on a deal that would make the Super Bowl MVP the highest-paid player in NFL history.

If the deal is finalised, the veteran quarterback would receive more than US$120 million over six years, according to sources.

Flacco would earn more than the US$20 million average salary Drew Brees receives with the New Orleans Saints.

Reaching agreement with Flacco before tomorrow's 4pm franchise deadline meant the Ravens are assured of retaining their starting quarterback and don't have to take a salary cap hit of about US$19.5 million.

Flacco played out his rookie contract last season for US$6.76 million and led Baltimore to the NFL championship.

With Flacco's contract essentially settled, Newsome can turn his attention toward re-signing free agents Ed Reed, Paul Kruger and Bryant McKinnie.

Flacco, 28, is the only quarterback to win a postseason game in each of his first five pro seasons. He had a spectacular play-offs and Super Bowl this year, throwing for 11 touchdowns with no interceptions. He also holds the record for play-off road wins with six.

Before the Super Bowl, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti expressed confidence that Flacco would be the Ravens' quarterback of the future.

"We've never lost a great, great franchise player from the beginning," Bisciotti said. "I'm just very comfortable that it will get done." On Friday, it did.

Flacco was a first-round draft pick in 2008 out of Delaware and one of the most consistent postseason winners in NFL history.

Flacco said after the Super Bowl victory over San Francisco that he expected to be back in Baltimore.

He made sure of that on Friday, coincidentally hours after the franchise tag figures for this year became known.

Had Flacco been franchised, he would have earned at least US$14.896 million this season.