The Baltimore Ravens and the agent for Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco will meet this week in Indianapolis in their first negotiating session since August, according to a source familiar with the talks.
The Ravens and Flacco's agent, Joe Linta, have been trading telephone calls in recent days to try to schedule the face-to-face negotiating session. If the two sides are unable to reach a long-term deal, the Ravens will use their franchise tag on the quarterback.
Earlier this month, Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said he's "optimistic" that the team will get a long-term deal done. Flacco is not under contract for the coming season. The exclusive tag, which would take the 28-year-old Flacco off the free-agent market, would take $20 million of cap space this season.
Newsome said on Feb. 7 that the sides were "very close" to a deal before the season began, but it was a mutual agreement to stop negotiations until the end of the season.