The Baltimore Ravens didn’t just shut down a less-than-ideal prediction—they took a sledgehammer to it.
After the Kansas City Chiefs got exposed in Super Bowl LIX, watching Patrick Mahomes get sacked six times and running for his life all night, it was clear their offensive line needed serious help. Joe Thuney shifted over to left tackle, and, well… let’s just say he’s a great guard. The Chiefs were going to need to find someone else to protect Mahomes’ blindside. Enter Ronnie Stanley—or so they thought.
USA Today’s Jacob Camenker predicted the Chiefs would sign Stanley in free agency, a move that made some sense at the time. A seasoned, All-Pro left tackle hitting the market with Kansas City in desperate need? Sure. But then reality hit like a Philadelphia Eagles pass rush. Turns out, Baltimore had no intention of letting their guy walk—and general manager Eric DeCosta made that crystal clear at the NFL Combine.
Ronnie Stanley isn't going anywhere... especially Kansas City
If the Chiefs were holding onto any hope of stealing Stanley, DeCosta just stomped it out. Speaking to the media in Indianapolis, Baltimore’s GM all but confirmed that re-signing Stanley is a top priority and will get done.
"You never want to say 100%, but I feel good that we'll have a good, healthy debate, a good process," DeCosta said. "I'm optimistic that we'll be able to get a deal done."
Translation? Stanley’s not going anywhere.
Head coach John Harbaugh echoed that same sentiment:
"I think that we'll probably keep Ronnie. I'm hopeful that we will."
Look, if both DeCosta and Harbaugh are out here saying they expect to bring Stanley back, then Kansas City’s dream of luring him away is all but dead, done, poof.
For Chiefs fans hoping Stanley would be the answer to their biggest offseason problem, it’s back to the drawing board for now. The Ravens aren’t going to let Stanley just walk out the door, and now Andy Reid and Co. have to figure out a different way to stop Mahomes from getting bundled again next year. Here's to hoping they don't.
Now, nothing is set in stone, but it sure seems like Reid and those pesky Chiefs won't get a shot at signing the highly-coveted lineman. And thank goodness for that. The last thing this league needs is another star player heading to Kansas City to help the Ketchup and Mustard win more Super Bowls.
As for Baltimore, retaining Stanley means keeping stability at left tackle and ensuring Lamar Jackson continues to have the protection he needs to be the most electric player in the NFL. The Chiefs might be left scrambling, but the Ravens? They’re not giving the struggles much mind.