The Ravens and All-Pro tackle Ronnie Stanley have agreed to a contract extension days before he was set to become a free agent, as general manager Eric DeCosta has achieved one of his top offseason priorities before free agency officially begins March 12.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed by the team, but The Athletic reported it to be a three-year deal worth $60 million, with $44 million guaranteed.
Stanley was considered one of the league’s top pending free agents this offseason and would have been free to negotiate with any team beginning March 10. Instead, the Ravens’ top draft pick in 2016 will remain in Baltimore after one of the most productive seasons of his career.
Stanley, who turns 31 next week, was a First-Team All-Pro in 2019, but his next few seasons were marred by injury, and his age and injury history figured to be a concern in any new deal.
Speaking at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis two weeks ago, both DeCosta and head coach John Harbaugh had expressed optimism that the team would be able to retain Stanley.
The No. 6 overall pick in 2016 out of Notre Dame, Stanley signed a five-year, $98.7 million extension in October of 2020, but just a day later suffered a major ankle injury that sidelined him for the remainder of that season. He tried to return for the 2021 season but was shut down after just one game and underwent more surgery.
Before last season, Stanley took a $7.5 million pay cut and the final year of his contract was voided, making him a free agent in 2025. He responded with one of the best seasons of his career. Stanley played in every game for the first time in his nine NFL seasons, anchoring the line for a Ravens offense that became the first in league history to amass 4,000 passing yards and 3,000 rushing yards in the same season.
Pro Football Focus ranked Stanley 39th of 141 offensive tackles overall and 21st in pass blocking.
The Ravens in 2024 won the AFC North for the second straight season and finished 12-5 before falling to the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round of the playoffs.
With Stanley’s return, the Ravens’ offensive line questions now focus on the left guard position. Tyler Linderbaum is back at center after his second straight Pro Bowl season, and Roger Rosengarten figures to hold down the right tackle job after winning it as a rookie in 2024. Converted tackle Daniel Faalele also returns after starting every game at right guard this past season.
The Ravens, though, could lose versatile Patrick Mekari to free agency. He started the final 14 games last season at left guard and has been an invaluable utility player, with 53 starts across the offensive line over six seasons. Ben Cleveland is also expected to depart as a free agent, leaving Andrew Vorhees the leading in-house possibility to start at guard.
Several mock drafts have the Ravens addressing the offensive line early in the draft, and a plug-and-play left guard could be the target with the Ravens’ first pick at No. 27 overall. Regardless of who plays left guard, the Ravens at least now know that he will be flanked by a pair of Pro Bowl picks in Linderbaum and Stanley.
Stanley was one of 18 Ravens set to hit free agency. In addition to Mekari and Cleveland, that group also includes offensive lineman Josh Jones, Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard, cornerback Brandon Stephens, linebacker Malik Harrison, defensive lineman Brent Urban, quarterback Josh Johnson and wide receivers Tylan Wallace and Nelson Agholor, among others.
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