Super Bowl MVP Flacco eyes new deal with Ravens

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Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Joe Flacco heads into new contract negotiations with the Baltimore Ravens in the strongest position of all - as a National Football League title winner.

Flacco has just completed the last of his five-year rookie deal with the Ravens but, after leading his team to victory over the San Francisco 49ers in New Orleans, says he expects a new deal to be reached.

"I'm pretty optimistic but who knows? There are all kinds of crazy things that can happen with these contracts that we have all seen before but this is a great organization," he told a news conference on Monday.

"I love being in Baltimore, a great city, so I don't really anticipate any problems."

Under NFL rules, if a new long-term deal is not struck with the quarterback, the Ravens could secure Flacco for an additional year by placing a franchise tag on him. That is reported to be around US$14.6 million for the season or around US$20 million for an "exclusive" tag which would stop teams from bidding for his services.

But Flacco's outstanding postseason form makes it hard to imagine the Ravens ownership would not come up with a long-term contract and probably one which would make him among the best paid in the league.

Flacco passed for 1,140 yards and 11 touchdowns in the four playoff games without an interception and also equaled the league record of 11 touchdowns in a single postseason, held jointly by Joe Montana and Kurt Warner.

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