ESPN's Adam Schefter has reported Ronald Darby is officially hanging up the cleats after a decade in the NFL. The veteran cornerback informed the Houston Texans of his retirement this week, ending a career that saw him suit up for seven teams and win a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Darby spent the 2023 season with the Baltimore Ravens, where he was called on to stabilize a banged-up secondary and ended up becoming a sneaky steady contributor. He joined the team during training camp on a one-year deal after Marlon Humphrey got hurt with a foot injury and started the season opener opposite Brandon Stephens.
He held that role for the first month of the season before moving into a rotational spot, but he still played in 16 games, finished with seven starts (went back to the bench when Humphrey got healthy), and earned strong grades from Pro Football Focus. His 81.0 PFF grade was among the best in Baltimore’s secondary, and he gave up just one touchdown on 60 targets.
Darby made the most of his short stint in Baltimore
While his time in Baltimore was short, it was one of the most efficient seasons of his career. He recorded 28 tackles, swatted seven passes, and was flagged just once all year. His best performance might’ve come in Week 11 against the Bengals when he batted down three passes and helped the Ravens secure a divisional win.
Darby parlayed that 2023 bounce-back into a two-year deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024, Darby played 12 pretty forgettable games with the Jags before he was released earlier this offseason. He later signed with the Houston Texans in March but is walking away before taking the field in Houston.
The 31-year-old was originally a second-round pick by the Buffalo Bills in 2015 and went on to start 107 games across his 10-year career. His resume includes stints in Buffalo, Philly, Washington, Denver, Baltimore, Jacksonville, and Houston — with a ring from Super Bowl LII and a place among the league leaders in passes defended since entering the league.
Ravens fans will remember him as a late-summer signing who quietly helped stabilize one of the NFL’s top defenses in 2023.