“It wasn’t necessarily about the money. It was, at that point, about earning that respect and feeling like I was respected around here,” Flacco said Monday just minutes after signing the contract that includes $52 million in guaranteed money.

“The fact that they have made me that definitely makes me feel good about how I played and how they feel about me.”

Flacco led the Ravens to a 34-31 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl, earning MVP honors by throwing for 287 yards and three touchdowns.

The Ravens and Flacco’s agent had been in talks for more than a year, but the agreement was reached Friday, just three days before Baltimore was set to use the franchise tag to keep him from being an unrestricted free agent.

“Joe’s a Raven in his style of play, the way he works and prepares, and the way he lives his life. He’s a significant reason we’ve been to the playoffs five years in a row, played in three AFC championship games, and now, we are the Super Bowl champs with Joe as MVP,” general manager Ozzie Newsome said in the statement announcing the extension.

Flacco said he learned about the deal while at his uncle’s house for family pizza night. He doesn’t have any big plans for the money.

“I’m not going to do anything crazy,” Flacco said. “All the celebration I can take is going out and enjoying a nice little time with the people that are close to me and looking at each other saying, ‘Man, can you believe where we are?'”

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“I won’t play in another uniform,” Boldin said in an interview Friday on NBC Sports Radio. “We have a saying, once a Raven, always a Raven, and I’ll always be a Raven.”

Boldin, 32, has one year left on his four-year, $25 million deal, and is due $6 million next season. But money could be tight as six starters will become unrestricted free agents, including quarterback Joe Flacco, linebackers Dannell Ellerbe and Paul Kruger, and safety Ed Reed.

“I think you go out and let your play speak for itself,” Boldin told NBC Sports Radio. “You deal with that if you have to, but, I think for me — I know for me — Baltimore is the only place I want to play.”

Boldin caught 65 passes for 921 yards and four touchdowns in 15 games this season, his third with Baltimore. Boldin caught six passes for 104 yards and a touchdown in the Ravens’ 34-31 Super Bowl win against the San Francisco 49ers.

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