Ronnie Stanley proved his loyalty by leaving money on the table to sign with Ravens

The Ravens were loyal to Stanley and it paid off.
Sep 5, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley (79) at the line of scrimmage against the Kansas City Chiefs during the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images
Sep 5, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley (79) at the line of scrimmage against the Kansas City Chiefs during the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Ravens spoiled a lot of teams' free agency plans when they were able to retain Ronnie Stanley and re-signed him to a three-year deal worth $60 million. The Ravens were loyal to Stanley even when he was unable to stay healthy and he, in turn, rewarded them for that loyalty, taking less money to remain in Baltimore.

According to Albert Breer, three different teams had reportedly offered Stanley an annual salary of at least $20 million with the Chiefs offering roughly $20 million. According to Breer, the Commanders and Patriots both reportedly offered Stanley $24 million annually.

This information shows that Stanley wasn't ever truly considering leaving and was planning on remaining devoted to the Ravens.

Ronnie Stanley left a lot of money on the table to stay in Baltimore

No one would blame Stanley if he took the money and ran, especially with the injuries he's dealt with in recent years. Still, it's good to see that he wanted to stay in Baltimore and continue to play for the same team that spent the sixth overall pick on him in the 2016 draft.

Stanley is entering his age-31 season and is still playing at a high level so the Ravens locking him into a three-year deal means that Lamar Jackson has his left tackle for the foreseeable future. Furthermore, it means that the Chiefs weren't able to pry him away and they'll continue to be in left tackle purgatory.

It'd have been easy for the Ravens to have grown frustrated with Stanley's injuries (he played in just seven games combined in 2020 and 2021) but they stuck with him and he ultimately rewarded them for that. It's hard to win games if your team doesn't have an average left tackle and luckily, the Ravens will have one of the best in the league for the next few years.

Schedule