The Broncos and, specifically John Elway, have gotten a lot of national flak — oh! — since trading a week ago for Joe Flacco.

One writer for a major sports publication has called The Duke of Denver “the mayor of crazy town’’ in the aftershock of the deal.

Even the local loyalists of Our Very Own Team have reacted with indolent indifference. “Well, he’s maybe sort of an upgrade over Case Keenum’’ seems to be the general sentiment. It’s not as if Peyton Manning walked back through the door at Dove Valley. Or, for that matter, the people’s choices (briefly) — Timmy Tebow and Kyle Sloter.

The one-time villain didn’t become an immediate hero when he was spotted on a terminal train at DIA. I couldn’t find one Flacco jersey in three mall stores the other day, although, an entrepreneur on eBay is selling “Flacco to Sanders’’ shirts for $19.95. Good luck.

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The reception is similar to when Craig Morton and, two decades later, Kyle Orton arrived.

Back when, as I described then, the Broncos were trading their refuse for other teams’ rubbish.

However, one of those exchanges worked out well. Orton was a loser, as Jay Cutler had been. And the Broncos sent dud Steve Ramsey to the Giants for the washed-up Morton.

Here’s what Morton did: He was the quarterback for the Broncos when they reached the Super Bowl for the first time in 1977. During that regular season Morton didn’t mess it up for the “Orange Crush’’ defense. Although injured in the playoffs (and he secretly spent several days in the hospital), Morton managed to beat the Steelers and the Raiders. He was horrific in the championship game (0.0 passer rating) against his former team — the Cowboys. And he’s one of only three Broncos’ quarterbacks who were starters in the Super Bowl. The other two you remember.

The Broncos have done fine with 30something quarterbacks they’ve picked up — Manning, Morton, Charley Johnson. At 34, Flacco is the same age as Morton and Johnson were when they came to Denver.

Everybody asks what I think of The Flacco Matter.

It will be fine if, like Morton, Flacco doesn’t mess it up, assuming Vic Fangio can create a third Denver defense for the ages and the aged and recreate the Monsters of The Midway as the Monsters of Mile High.

Flacco no longer is the 27-year-old QB who produced perhaps the most proficient postseason in NFL history in 2012. He threw for 1,140 yards, 11 touchdowns and zero interceptions while the Ravens — with a dominant defense — defeated the Colts, the Broncos, the Patriots and the 49ers.

Flacco isn’t finished forever, though.

And he’s certainly superior to the plethora of pass-poor players disguised as quarterbacks who have wandered into and out of Colorado since Peyton retired. Flacco’s no Paxton Lynch, whose uniform number should have been “Zero,’’ or Chad Kelly, who wound up as a “Couch Potato’’ at a Broncos’ Halloween party.

Oddly enough, and nobody has pointed this out before, Flacco could have been a Bronco in 2008. At No. 12, the Broncos, who had a bust at quarterback (Cutler), could have chosen Flacco. They selected tackle Ryan Clady, who turned out to be a special left tackle for years, and Flacco was picked by the Ravens six slots later.

But, then, the Broncos have missed over the years on the likes of Russell Wilson, Dak Prescott, Kirk Cousins, Brett Favre, Joe Montana and Drew Brees. And last draft they passed on Josh Allen, Josh Rosen and Lamar Jackson — who displaced Flacco in Baltimore.

Someday the Broncos must draft a Great Quarterback. They never have in 59 previous drafts. If they don’t, it will be the worst smear, splotch, stain on Elway’s renowned quarter-century career featuring seven Super Bowls (three victories) as a quarterback and executive in the NFL.

Now, Elway has two quarterbacks on the roster who count $39.5 million (20 percent) against the Broncos’ salary cap.

Obviously, Keenum will have to be cut in the next month to save $11 million, and the Broncos surely won’t pay Flacco $49.5 million in the 2020-21 seasons.

So, the temporary fix will continue for a fourth consecutive season.

The Broncos require a 10- to 15-year solution.