Ravens Sign Arena League QB David Olson After Joe Flacco Gets Injured

The Baltimore Ravens announced on Friday their signing of arena league quarterback David Olson.

Ravens QB David Olson Arena League

The team is in desperate need of a passer after starter Joe Flacco injured his back on the first day of training camp on Thursday. Flacco is expected to miss a week.

Olson, 25, most recently played a 12-game season with the Kansas City Phantoms of the Champions Indoor Football (CIF) league, an arena football league based in the Midwest. He also had stints with the CIF’s Wichita Force and the Indoor Football League’s Iowa Barnstormers — the same arena team Kurt Warner played for.

Before that, Olson played as a backup at Stanford under Ravens head coach John Harbaugh’s brother Jim. Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck beat Olson for the starting position at Stanford. In his final season, Olson transferred to Clemson. Olson never tossed a pass at Stanford and only completed one of three passes at Clemson for a loss of one yard.

Olson now joins two other Ravens quarterbacks: Ryan Mallett, who is expected to start in place of Flacco, and Dustin Vaughan, who is on his fourth team in four seasons.

Baltimore’s signing of Olson comes after speculation that the Ravens could add free agent Colin Kaepernick to their roster. Harbaugh praised Kaepernick earlier this week.

“He’s a really good football player,” Harbaugh said of Kaepernick after practice Thursday. “I believe he’s a really good person. It all depends on a lot of things. It depends on Colin first of all and what’s his passion, what’s his priority, what’s he want to do, what kind of shape he’s in. So we’ll just see where it goes. I don’t think it’s different for us than any other team.”

Flacco is due to count $24.55 million against the salary cap in 2017 but finished last season with 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. His 83.5 passer rating was 24th among starting quarterbacks. On Friday, Flaccco provided an update on his injury:

The Ravens finished the 2016 season 8-8 and second in the AFC North. Baltimore hosts the Washington Redskins on Aug. 1 for its first preseason game, and visits the Cincinnati Bengals for its season opener on Sept. 10.

TEMPE, AZ – DECEMBER 07: Quarterback David Olson #10 of the Stanford Cardinal during the Pac 12 Championship game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium on December 7, 2013 in Tempe, Arizona. The Carindal defeated the Sun Devils 38-14. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)