Ravens Sign ILB Roquan Smith to 5-Year Contract Extension
The Baltimore Ravens and All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith have come to terms on a five-year, $100 million deal, with $45 million fully guaranteed. The pact makes Smith the highest-paid player at his position in NFL history.
The Ravens acquired Roquan Smith in a trade with Chicago in October, sending second- and fifth-round draft picks, along with linebacker A.J. Klein, to the Windy City for the outstanding defender. Smith was disgruntled with how talks for a new contract were going with the Bears, who continued the process of their rebuild by shipping him away.
On the last year of his rookie contract, Smith has registered the third-most stops (169) in the league this go-round, behind only Kansas City’s Nick Bolton (180) and Jacksonville’s Foyesade Oluokun (184). Smith has had more solo stops (491) than any other player since 2018. The Los Angeles Rams’ Bobby Wagner is the next closest, with 425, and is the only defender with more combined takedowns than Smith in that same span.
Smith made his mark in his team’s rivalry series with Pittsburgh early on, knocking Kenny Pickett out of the game with a concussion the first time he played the Steelers as a division rival.
Getting the extension with Smith ironed out was important for Baltimore, which might need to save its franchise tag for former NFL MVP Lamar Jackson, who’s seeking a big deal and has missed a good chunk of time down the stretch with an injury.
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