Communication traffic congestion management systems and methods are disclosed. Communication traffic is analyzed to determine its type, and a traffic congestion management function to be applied to the received communication traffic is selected based on the determined type and a level of communication traffic congestion. Congestion levels may be determined from congestion feedback signals provided by downstream communication components to which a traffic flow controller outputs communication traffic. A traffic congestion management function may be selected and applied on a packet-by-packet or other block-specific basis, or to an entire stream of communication traffic.