Opinion: Ryan Mallett doesn’t need to lose his job and fans need to chill

Last night, every twitter handle across Ravens nation screamed for Ryan Mallett to lose his job. Every incompletion was met with cries of shock and horror. We need to quell the instantaneous reactions.

Aaron Rodgers has incomplete passes. Joe Flacco throws incomplete passes.

Every single incompletion, whether it be a bad throw, a drop, or miscommunication, cannot be met with cries of firing your backup quarterback.

He’s not the starting quarterback; he’s not costing the Ravens $20 million per year. He’s not even costing the Ravens $10 million. In fact, it’s only $2 million.

Yes, there are free agent quarterbacks capable of better play, but that doesn’t mean each time there’s a better player available in free agency, the Ravens must sign them instantly. Among many reasons why that’s wrong, the most important reason to keep in mind, he’s the back-up quarterback.

Another big reason why signing a different back-up quarterback isn’t the right idea: Ravens current cap situation.

The Baltimore Ravens just converted Jimmy Smith’s salary to bonus, squeezing cap space back in the black, after the recent signing of OT Austin Howard.

They’re on the thinnest of margins with the current cap space. They shelled out hundreds of millions in contracts this offseason. With the current injuries sustained at cornerback and offensive line, are you really worried about the back-up quarterback job? There isn’t money to spend on a different back-up quarterback, with the current space the Ravens do have.

Cutting Ryan Mallett saves only $1 million. Unless they keep Woodrum or Vaughan, and cut Mallett, it’s not worth spending the money they open up for yet another back-up quarterback.

I feel like I’m Allen Iverson at the podium.

We talkin’ about backups. Not the starter, backups. Not the franchise quarterback, not the man who is expected to play the regular season, but the backup.

The Ravens already have a cap hit of $24.5 million this season, for Joe Flacco alone. Are you really wanting to add an additional back-up quarterback?

My final reason for Mallett, the defense.

Remember last night, where Brent Urban bodied the Redskins? Where Jaylen Hill stunted on the quarterback? Where every single defender was all over the field? That’s the defense Mallett has been practicing against. Every day, he’s been facing this ridiculous defense which dominated Kirk Cousins and Company. The starter and back-to-back franchise tagged quarterback couldn’t find a weakness against the Ravens defense, but you expect the $2 million back-up to go against this team in training camp, and score consistently?

Ryan Mallett doesn’t need to lose his job, for the sake of bringing in yet another back-up quarterback. Fans need to calm down.