According to reports, Marlon Humphrey has signed a contract extension with the Ravens worth nearly $99 million. Here are three big things about the big news:
1. The timing couldn’t have been much better:
The Baltimore Ravens couldn’t have waited much longer to sign Marlon Humphrey to an extension. While they technically didn’t need to extend him now, doing so is going to save them some money in the long run. Jalen Ramsey and Tre’Davious White just got big deals from the Los Angeles Rams and the Buffalo Bills respectively. According to spotrac.com, Marlon Humphrey now has the second highest average yearly salary at the cornerback position. Humphrey makes a yearly average of $19,750,00 a number sandwiched between the earnings of Ramsey and White.
While Humphrey wouldn’t become a free agent until after next season, the Ravens couldn’t wait to get a deal done. The Ravens have had three extensions on their eventual to do list for a while. The Ravens know that Ronnie Stanley is going to be hard to get a deal done with and at some point in the future Baltimore must make a long-term commitment to Lamar Jackson. Humphrey is set and taken care of and considering the rising cost of cornerbacks in the National Football League, the timing of this move is spot on. The market for cornerbacks isn’t getting smaller. Big names are going to get money that was once reserved for pass rushers, quarterbacks and left tackles. Top cornerbacks have become some of the top earners in the NFL.
Patrick Peterson becomes a free agent in 2021, while Kyle Fuller and Stephon Gilmore can become free agents in 2022. With Marcus Peters deal already in the books, it is a good thing that the Ravens have their top two cornerbacks locked up for the foreseeable future. It’s looking like a good time not to have to worry about paying cornerbacks. This is a deal that is well timed and well deserved.