The writing has been on the wall for a while now, but Marcus Williams seems to be fully prepared for the inevitable. According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Ravens' high-priced safety is bracing for free agency, expecting Baltimore to cut him loose before a key contract trigger on March 13.
#Ravens safety Marcus Williams is preparing for free agency with the full expectation that Baltimore releases him, per source.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) February 28, 2025
A recent contract restructure includes a significant trigger March 13.
Williams, benched last season, has 20 career INTs. pic.twitter.com/iJUVDYBUQL
It’s a stunning fall from grace for a player who once looked like a home-run free agent signing. The Ravens brought Williams in on a five-year, $70 million deal back in 2022, hoping he would be the ball-hawking centerpiece of their secondary for years to come. Instead, injuries, inconsistency, and a brutal 2024 campaign have all but sealed his fate.
Williams was benched last season, finishing the year without an interception for the first time in his career. His 42.9 PFF grade ranked 160th out of 170 defensive backs, and by the end of the season, Baltimore had already moved on to younger, cheaper options. Now, with the Ravens strapped for cap space, cutting Williams seems like a super easy call.
Marcus Williams has already played his last snap for the Ravens
As much as the Ravens would love to keep a talented veteran like Williams, the numbers just don’t add up. His $8.8 million cap hit in 2025 is simply just too steep for a team that needs to clear space for Ronnie Stanley’s new deal and other roster upgrades.
Releasing him before June 1 would leave Baltimore with a massive $15.5 million dead cap hit, which is why they’re expected to designate him as a post-June 1 cut instead. That move would spread out the cap damage, saving the Ravens $2.1 million this offseason while pushing the remaining $6.7 million in dead money into next year.
That’s not exactly a huge financial windfall, but when a player is not producing and still carrying a hefty contract, moving on is the best option. Williams was signed to be a playmaking center fielder, but the reality is he was a liability in coverage last season. At this point, there’s no reason for Baltimore to keep paying for past performance.
With Williams on his way out, the Ravens’ safety room is already set to move forward without him. Kyle Hamilton has quickly established himself as a defensive star, and Ar’Darius Washington showed enough promise to suggest he could take on a bigger role in 2025.
In addition to that, Baltimore could also explore low-cost free-agent options, swing a trade, or use one of their 11 draft picks to add another young safety to the mix. But one thing is clear: Williams is out.
It’s a tough end for what was once a marquee free-agent signing, but in the NFL, production is king. And when you're being paid $70 million, you'd better be playing like it. Williams simply wasn’t. And now, the Ravens are about to make it official and move on.