Linebacker Roquan Smith, who completely changed the tenor of the Ravens’ defense after being acquired in a trade-deadline deal, will be the anchor of that defense for the foreseeable future after reportedly agreeing to a five-year extension with the team.
The deal officially has not been announced, but NFL Network’s Ian Rapaport said it will be worth $100 million, a record for an inside linebacker, with $45 million fully guaranteed. That would be the second-highest contract in team history behind Joe Flacco’s six-year, $120 million extension signed in 2013.
Smith, like quarterback Lamar Jackson, has no agent, and he and the Ravens are in the midst of postseason preparations. The Ravens, who finished 10-7 in the regular season, visit the Cincinnati Bengals (12-4) in an opening-round playoff game on Sunday, Jan. 15, at 8:15 p.m.
Smith was acquired by the Ravens on Nov. 1 in exchange for linebacker A.J. Klein and second- and fifth-round picks in the 2023 draft, and he immediately reshaped the Ravens’ defense with his energy and sideline-to-sideline physicality.
Fellow inside linebacker Patrick Queen seemed to thrive once Smith arrived, and virtually every Ravens defensive metric improved once Smith was inserted in the middle of the defense. The Ravens allowed roughly 80 yards and eight points fewer in games Smith played. With Smith in the lineup, the Ravens held seven of nine opponents under 17 points.
Smith finished with 86 tackles as a Raven — third-most on the team despite playing just nine games. Including eight games with the Bears before the trade, Smith totaled 169 tackles, which ranked third in the league. He also finished with three interceptions, including one for the Ravens that came in the red zone at Pittsburgh in a 16-14 Ravens win.
Smith has been praised by his teammates — many of whom refer to him affectionately as “Uncle Ro” — for how quickly he blended into the Ravens’ culture.
Asked about Smith’s leadership of the Ravens’ defense after just half a season with the team, head coach John Harbaugh said, “He wants to do the things that are required to be a great player, and to be a great unit and then to impact your team. That’s what he’s all about, 100 percent. That’s what I love about him. He’s one of the top guys I’ve ever seen that way.”
Smith came to Baltimore after an acrimonious divorce in Chicago, which had made him the No. 8 pick in the 2018 draft — 24 spots before the Ravens selected Jackson.
Smith became an instant star in Chicago, earning second-team All-Pro honors in 2020 and 2021, but this past summer, discussions about a contract extension between Smith and the Bears went nowhere, with Smith calling the process, “very distasteful to say the least.”
Smith was seeking to become the league’s highest paid inside linebacker; Shaquille Leonard had signed a market-setting five-year, $98.5 million extension with the Indianapolis Colts.
Smith “held in” early in Bears training camp, declining to participate in early practices, but once he took the field, he played with the same intensity that had defined his career. At the time of the trade to the Ravens, Smith had played every defensive snap for the Bears and led the league in tackles with 83.
“I see myself at a number,” Smith told the Chicago media during training camp, “and [the Bears] see me at a number, and we couldn’t agree. … I would never accept a deal that I don’t feel is worth what I’m worth.”
Now, he has found a deal agreeable to him and to Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti, who in the past has articulated his priority is to pay “ascending players.” Smith, who turns 26 in April, was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time this season.
At the time of the trade, Smith said he was excited to go to a franchise with the playoff pedigree of the Ravens and one so centrally defined by its defense. He’s well aware of the franchise legacy framed by Hall of Fame inside linebacker Ray Lewis.
The Ravens never viewed Smith as a half-year rental, and an extension had immediately become one of the team’s top roster priorities. Now Bisciotti and general manager Eric DeCosta can turn their attention once more to franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson, who, like Smith, is set to become a free agent and, like Smith, does not have an agent.
Jackson and the Ravens shelved contract talks before the season, and any extension is sure to be the richest contract in franchise history. Jackson is thought to be looking for a fully guaranteed deal after Deshaun Watson signed a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed deal with the Cleveland Browns last spring.
But Bisciotti and other NFL owners have balked at fully guaranteed deals, and Jackson and the Ravens head toward free agency with no apparent movement on a deal.
Jackson has missed the past five games with a knee injury, and his status for the playoff game at Cincinnati remains uncertain.
The Ravens could apply the franchise tag to Jackson, giving them several months to work out a long-term deal. The Ravens have exclusive negotiating rights with Jackson through March 12, but the deadline to apply the franchise tag is March 7. The exclusive franchise tag for the quarterback is expected to cost roughly $45 million, fully charged against the 2023 cap. The non-exclusive franchise tag is expected to cost roughly $32 million.
If the Ravens do tag Jackson, they have until mid-July to work out a long-term extension, or Jackson would play the 2023 season under the tag. Smith was also a candidate for the franchise tag, but teams can tag just one player, so Smith’s extension removes that potential stumbling block as the Ravens approach the offseason.
Other key players set to become unrestricted free agents in 2023 include cornerback Marcus Peters, edge rusher Justin Houston, offensive guard Ben Powers and wide receiver Demarcus Robinson.
See Also: Ravens LB Roquan Smith Living In The Moment With Free Agency Possibly Looming (12/21/2022)
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