Jamison Hensley, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Gary Kubiak believes Joe Flacco is an elite quarterback

Gary Kubiak's admiration for Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco remains the same even though he has changed teams.

Asked at the NFL combine whether Flacco is elite, Kubiak said: "You bet he is. That's why I'm standing here today."

Kubiak was hired as the Denver Broncos head coach last month after one season as the offensive coordinator in Baltimore, where Flacco set career-highs in passing yards (3,986) and touchdown passes (27). The Ravens hired Marc Trestman to replace Kubiak.

"I really enjoyed working with him," Kubiak said of Flacco on Wednesday. "As talented a young man as I've ever coached and as good a person as I've ever coached."

The debate of whether Flacco is elite is a long-running one, and it often becomes heated because Flacco is spectacular in the postseason but just solid in the regular season. He has never thrown for 4,000 yards or 30 touchdowns in his seven NFL seasons. But since 2008, when Flacco was drafted in the first round by the Ravens, he leads the NFL in playoff victories with 10, which is three more than any other quarterback during that span.

In the postseason the last four years, Flacco has thrown 21 touchdowns and three interceptions. His passer rating of 107.5 over that time is the best of any quarterback who played more than three playoff games.

"I think we'll be talking about Joe for a long, long time," Kubiak said. "I really appreciated my time with him and I wish him the best."

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