The Baltimore Ravens orchestrated a fantastic offseason. They seemingly improved every position of need over the last several months. That’s what it looks like, at least.
While the defense looks poised to return to dominance and the offense appears to have firepower installed once again, one potential flaw could prove costly in 2026. Left guard John Simpson.
The Ravens signed Simpson to a three-year, $30 million contract in free agency. It immediately boosted a horrid situation at offensive guard. Between Simpson and first-round guard Vega Ioane, that spot should be miles better.
The issue is, Simpson isn’t necessarily a reliable piece.
Is he a veteran with plenty of experience? Yes.
Is he a quality starter along the interior of the offensive line, though? Maybe not.
Baltimore Ravens could face a John Simpson problem in 2026
I get where Baltimore’s head was at. After Daniel Faalele and Andrew Vorhees relentlessly wrecked the team’s playoff hopes in 2025, it was obvious both guard spots needed to be reconstructed. Bringing in John Simpson, who has notched 72 career starts across his six-year career, wasn’t a bad idea.
It especially makes sense when you add a rookie in Vega Ioane opposite him. That experience could bring benefits in more ways than one.
However, it’s also true that Simpson has been barely an average guard throughout his career … if that. Whether it was with the Las Vegas Raiders, New York Jets, or his first stint with the Ravens, struggles have followed him endlessly.
Most notably, flags always seem to find Simpson's number. In 86 games, he’s been penalized 40 times, which includes 20 holding calls. That’s never a good sign—when you’re flagged for holding, it usually means you’re getting beat off the line of scrimmage.
And over the last two years, Simpson was beaten more times than he’d like to admit. It honestly happened far too often.
In his time with the Jets between 2024 and 2025, Simpson allowed 9.5 sacks, per Pro Football Focus. That’s poor for a starting guard.
As for Simpson’s overall PFF grade, he’s coming off a year where he registered a 56.9 grade. That cemented him in 53rd among 81 qualifying guards. Clearly, the floor of his Baltimore career looks pretty dreary.
It is worth noting that in 2024 Simpson posted a 77.3 PFF grade, though. That was the best mark of his career. If he can find that groove again, it may not be all thunderous clouds looming over this $30 million signing.
Ideally, Simpson bounces back in a vastly better offense and posts results more closely akin to that 2024 campaign. But unfortunately, there’s a scary chance he looks more like the player who’s been an average-to-below-average starter for the majority of his career.
If that’s the case, the Ravens could still have big problems within the offensive line in 2026.
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