The Baltimore Ravens’ main objective and, in many ways, the key to their offseason was keeping defensive lineman Justin Madubuike,
Had they allowed him to enter the free agent market, the cap-strapped Ravens would have most likely lost to clubs with a ton of salary-cap space in their push for the rising star. His absence would have increased the team’s already long list of needs and created a big hole in the middle of Baltimore’s defense.
The Ravens would have had very little leeway in how they assembled the rest of their roster if they had been forced to factor in the $22.1 million franchise tag when the new league year began the following week.
The news of today was by far the best thing the Ravens could have asked for as they headed into yet another pivotal offseason. According to a team source engaged in the negotiations, general manager Eric DeCosta got things started by verbally agreeing to a four-year, $98 million deal extension with Madubuike that contains guarantees totaling $75.5 million.
According to DeCosta, Justin is a key member of our defense and among the greatest defensive tackles in the whole NFL. “Our fan following makes us equally delighted as we are thrilled for Justin and his family. The start of the new league year is excellent with this.
When Madubuike had his breakthrough season, he demonstrated that timing is crucial. Meanwhile, the Ravens provided the most recent indication that they intend to be aggressive in their pursuit of key defensive players who are still in the prime of their careers, especially those that they have drafted and developed.
Madubuike, a 2020 third-round selection out of Texas A&M, has 153 tackles and 21 1/2 sacks in four NFL seasons. His much-awaited breakthrough year arrived in 2023 when he made his first Pro Bowl and recorded 13 sacks, surpassing his previous total of 5 1/2, ranking first among interior defensive lineman and eighth overall. In two postseason games, he followed it up with 13 quarterback pressures and a half-sack.
When Madubuike chose to bet on himself and turned down the Ravens’ extension offers both before and during the season, it was undoubtedly the breakout that he had imagined. For a guy who, coming into the offseason, was regarded by many as one of the best prospective free agents at any position, that wager paid off handsomely.
Madubuike now ranks second in football among interior defensive linemen in terms of average yearly salary, behind only Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams ($31.67 million). In the upcoming days, that mark may be threatened by pending free agents Christian Wilkins of the Miami Dolphins and Chris Jones of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Madubuike’s accomplishment this past season, in which he tied an NFL single-season record with at least a half-sack in 11 straight games, was the culmination of his annual improvement. Twelve tackles for loss were also a career high for him. Even while opposition offensive lines began to pay more attention to Madubuike as the season progressed, he continued to produce significant plays on a weekly basis. Madubuike’s work ethic and his seriousness about his job have been praised by Ravens coaches for a long time. In 2023, he elevated his game to a new level and became a mainstay on what was maybe the finest defense in the NFL.
Madubuike is the exact kind of player the team loves to reward: a dedicated, homegrown athlete who has evolved both on and off the field and adopted the motto “play like a Raven.”
The Ravens’ commitment to keeping Madubuike on the team was always clear. They were without a serious inside pass-rush threat in his peak for a number of seasons. They hadn’t had an interior defensive lineman record a double-digit sack season since Trevor Pryce in 2006, before to his breakthrough in 2023.
The only thing left to wonder was if they could agree on contract figures. Madubuike could have effectively specified his price on the free market and most likely would have received it, or at least close to it, with the salary cap rising dramatically and pass-rushing defensive lineman in high demand. Since defensive players for the Ravens are usually in high demand during free agency, it stands to reason that their available free agents will also be in high demand given the rush to sign from their coaching staff this offseason.
Playing under the tag would have put Madubuike under pressure to have a season in 2024 that was comparable to the one he had, all in order to secure the kind of deal he desired. That is not an issue anymore. This reinforces Madubuike’s position as one of the defensive team’s cornerstone players. That entails accountability, which begins with performance on the field.
This is DeCosta’s first victory in what looks to be a difficult summer. With little financial flexibility to retain them, the Ravens have almost two dozen free agents. The bulk of their wide receiver and running back rooms, both starting offensive guards (Kevin Zeitler, John Simpson), two of their leaders in sacks (Kyle Van Noy, Jaydeveon Clowney), their second-leading tackler (Patrick Queen), and the AFC leader in interceptions (Geno Stone) are on their list of pending unrestricted free agents.
The Ravens are aware that some important players will be leaving this offseason. They also realized that Madubuike could not afford to stay among them.