The Baltimore Ravens fell flat in 2025. They were one of the most disappointing teams in the NFL, and much of that was due to the questionable leadership of John Harbaugh. Harbaugh was fired, and with new leadership set to take over under Jesse Minter, a lot will change this offseason.
The most obvious changes were the coaching shifts after hiring Minter. There’s an intriguing new coaching staff coming to Charm City that should raise the ceiling of this team in 2026. However, there’s also plenty of roster reconstruction to do, as well.
Whether he would admit it or not, Harbaugh certainly had his fair share of players that he had a liking for. Decisions to keep struggling starters in the mix, and young, exciting players on the bench, were his fatal flaw. A part of that group was right guard Daniel Faalele. There is no way he should return in 2026.
Faalele’s one of the Ravens' many pending free agents, and while he started every game over the past two years, it’s time for that experiment to be over.
Daniel Faalele should be on his way out of Baltimore this offseason
The offensive line was an excruciating problem all year. From the first snap of the ball in Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills to the last drive of the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18, the blocking troubles persisted. Daniel Faalele was at the forefront of that.
Specifically, it was the offensive guards who caused the most issues. The duo of Andrew Vorhees and Faalele was a colossal question mark heading into the year, and both failed to hold up their end of the bargain. In Faalele’s case, he had some of the most embarrassing reps in the entire NFL throughout the season.
Faalele very rarely showed any signs of improvement from week to week. He showcased a lack of balance, falling to the ground on countless snaps, and his inability to hold and win one-on-one reps was also apparent. He finished the year with a horrific 55.6 overall grade, per Pro Football Focus.
It also must be noted that the terrible pass protection played a role in quarterback Lamar Jackson’s injury-riddled campaign. It felt like he was getting hit on most of his drop-backs.
For general manager Eric DeCosta, it should be an easy choice to let Faalele find a new home this offseason. DeCosta should look to improve that potential right guard vacancy with a proven starter in free agency. The likes of Kevin Zeitler, Joel Bitonio, and Wyatt Teller could present themselves as worthwhile options in the coming months if they aren’t re-signed.
Unless he's retained on a very cheap deal as a backup, there shouldn’t be a path for Faalele back to Charm City. Currently, Spotrac projects him to sign a deal for two years worth around $21 million. That would give him an annual salary of $10.5 million, which, if actually attainable, would likely put him on a fast track out of Baltimore.