Baltimore Ravens: 5 players who won’t be back in 2022
By Justin Fried
5. L.J. Fort, LB, Ravens
L.J. Fort proved to be an excellent find for general manager Eric DeCosta when the veteran linebacker was signed off the scrapheap in September of 2019.
Fort went on to start eight games down the stretch in 2019 and was rightfully given a two-year extension less than two months after being signed.
The journeyman linebacker returned in 2020 and put together probably the best year of his career serving as a core special teamer and a veteran presence at linebacker.
Fort finished as Pro Football Focus‘ eighth-highest-graded linebacker last season proving that was just as capable on defense as he was on special teams.
The Ravens declined Fort’s option the following offseason but re-signed him soon after. The plan was for Fort to continue to serve as a veteran leader on defense while doubling as one of the team’s best special teamers.
Unfortunately, a torn ACL suffered in the preseason knocked him out for the year leaving his future with the organization uncertain.
Fort is a good player who has managed to stick around in the NFL for close to a decade for a reason. But it’s hard to see what role he would have with the team in 2022.
Josh Bynes has returned and taken on the same role that Fort had, and he’s playing at a very high level right now. The Ravens still want to see more of Patrick Queen and Malik Harrison and they might look to bolster the position in the offseason.
L.J. Fort is a quality linebacker, but it’s likely the Ravens move on in the offseason.