The Baltimore Ravens extended their superstar Kyle Hamilton on Wednesday, making him the highest-paid safety in the NFL with a contract worth $100.4 million. The deal will keep him in Baltimore through the 2030 season. At just 24 years old, he is expected to continue his on-field dominance, but he is already making a massive impact in other ways.
While Hamilton is still young, he has quickly emerged as one of the leaders of the defense. His communication on the back end helped morph the secondary from one of the worst groups in the league to one of the best in 2024. His leadership, communication, and intelligence have made him a mentor for many young defensive backs, and he has already made a significant impact on undrafted rookie Reuben Lowery.
Kyle Hamilton is quickly emerging as the ideal mentor for Reuben Lowery
Lowery cracked the Ravens’ initial 53-man roster this past week, being one of three undrafted rookies to make the team ahead of the regular season. He earned that spot this summer, acting as one of the biggest playmakers in the secondary. He hauled in countless interceptions, even grabbing one in Week 2 of the preseason against the Dallas Cowboys.
The 23-year-old still has a lot to learn, but he is already leaning on Hamilton as he continues to learn the ins and outs of the league. In his press conference on Wednesday, Lowery spoke about what it is that makes Hamilton so special.
“[Kyle Hamilton’s] the epitome of versatility,” Lowery said. “To have a guy that leads you in that way intellectually, and then you have a guy that puts the pads on every single day and works hard, it’s very rare. A guy that you can go up and ask a question mid-play, if you don't know what you’re doing, he knows…It’s just awesome to play for a guy like that. It’s awesome to lay it on the line because you know he’s gonna lay it on the line for you.”
Like Lowery highlighted, Hamilton can play anywhere on the defense. For a player like Lowery, who has experience at both corner and safety, Hamilton can be a key player to learn from. It already paid off in training camp and the preseason, but the regular season will be a different animal to tackle. We will have to wait and see how Lowery fares then, but his development has been encouraging thus far.