As the Ravens search for a head coach and wonder if left tackle Jonathan Ogden will retire, two of the franchise?s other key veterans hope to be a part of the team?s future.
Kicker Matt Stover and center Mike Flynn each said they are expecting to return next season, but acknowledged it wasn?t an easy decision after a trying, 5-11 season took its toll on them.
“It was a tough season for me personally because of the ups and downs of the year and how every point mattered,” Stover, 39, said. “When it came down to it we made a lot of mistakes where we really shouldn?t have and I think we?ll learn a lot from that.”
Flynn, 33, joined the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 1997 out of the University of Maine. He said he never imagined playing so long in the NFL for one team, and is extremely appreciative of everything he has experienced as a professional, including being on the squad that won Super Bowl XXXV.
“Anything that?s been good team-wise since the franchise has been here I?ve been a part of,” Flynn said. “That means a lot to me, whether it?s been the Super Bowl or the playoffs, Jamal Lewis breaking records or our great defense. I was a part of that. To play 11 years with one team in the age of free agency and the salary cap, it?s an honor. I?ve enjoyed my 11 years and I hope to keep it going.”
The 6-foot-3, 305-pound Flynn acknowledged his decreased playing time has many fans questioning his future of the team. But unlike Ogden, who has indicated he may retire, Flynn is not ready to hang up his cleats just yet.
“I?ve got one more year left on my contract,” Flynn said. “Old guys always get asked [about retiring]. It?s just the nature of the business. With the year that we had, there is going to be some turnover. There is going to be changes; there has to be.”
Stover said of all his 18 seasons, his latest was among the hardest because a team withSuper Bowl aspirations played so poorly a year after going a franchise-best 13-4 en route to winning the AFC North Division title.
Still, Stover?s passion for the game has not wavered and he is ready to go through another rebuilding effort. He finished the season making 27-of-32 field goals and all 26 of his extra-point attempts.
“We have to get back to that Ravens mentality again when we instill fear in people when they come in they say, ?Oh man??” Stover said. “I?ll keep doing this as long as God gives me the talent and desire to play. That?s key. You?ve got to have the talent, but the desire has to be there. I continue to love this game.”
