The Baltimore Ravens remained in the playoff hunt until the final week of the regular season, but the year ultimately fell short of expectations. Despite having Lamar Jackson under center, the offense never consistently found its rhythm, while the defense continued to struggle.
Those issues eventually led to a coaching overhaul, with Jesse Minter stepping in as head coach. Now, significant roster changes could follow, as one analyst predicts the Ravens may part ways with a four-time Pro Bowl cornerback.
Ravens Predicted To Part Ways With Standout Cornerback
While the Ravens’ defense showed flashes of improvement late in the regular season, it still finished just 18th in PFSN’s NFL Defense Impact Metric. One of the more surprising setbacks came from veteran cornerback Marlon Humphrey, who endured one of the toughest seasons of his career and ranked 74th in PFSN’s NFL CB Impact Metric.
A year removed from an All-Pro campaign in 2024, Humphrey became one of the most targeted and least effective cornerbacks on deep throws, with his passer rating allowed jumping more than 20 points from the previous season. While he totaled four interceptions and 13 pass breakups, the overall inconsistency outweighed the splash plays.
As a result, ESPN analyst Ben Solak believes Baltimore could move on before the start of the 2026 season.
“The Ravens will part ways with cornerback Marlon Humphrey, whether via trade or just as an outright cut,” Solak wrote. “Humphrey has been one of the most targeted — and least successful — cornerbacks deep downfield this season. He would hit the Ravens’ cap for nearly $20 million in 2026, the final year of his current deal.”
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Humphrey was a first-round pick in 2017 and has largely impressed throughout his career in Baltimore. He earned a five-year, $97.5 million extension in 2020 after securing his first Pro Bowl selection and First-Team All-Pro honors, solidifying his status as one of the league’s top cornerbacks at the time.
While he has since added three more Pro Bowl appearances and another First-Team All-Pro nod, 2025 was certainly not his best season. The dip in efficiency could incentivize Baltimore to consider parting ways with the 29-year-old as he enters the final year of his contract.
Releasing Humphrey outright with a post–June 1 designation would create $19,250,000 in cap savings while splitting the dead cap hit into $7,026,000 in 2026 and $19,250,000 in 2027. Trading him would result in a higher dead cap charge, with more than $11 million counting against the cap in each season, but it could also yield valuable draft compensation that might justify the additional financial burden.
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Regardless, Baltimore is not under immediate pressure to make a decision and will have to carefully weigh whether one down season is sufficient reason to move on. As a result, speculation surrounding Humphrey’s future is likely to persist throughout the offseason.
