Joe Flacco has said that the Baltimore Ravens should not be asking Anquan Boldin to reduce his salary.
It has been reported that the wide receiver has been asked to take a $2m (£1.34m) paycut in order to remain with the Super Bowl champions.
The Ravens quarterback, who signed a contract making him the highest paid player in the league last week, told USA Today: "Without him, we don't win the Super Bowl. He's a huge part of this team and someone I want to see back.
"Obviously, when you're a player of his caliber, you believe you're worth a number and that's what you should get. He's going to stick to his guns, and that's the way it should be.
"This league is about going out and performing and playing well and having fun doing so. But it's also our livelihood and it's about getting paid. So teams are going to let go of you as soon as they can."
Boldin finished the regular season with four touchdowns for 921 yards.
Sian Cowper
