The Baltimore Ravens would not have been faulted for one second if they parted ways with left tackle Ronnie Stanley in the 2024 offseason. Not only was he positioned to be a very expensive player who was not performing anywhere close to his pay grade last season, but he has been struggling to stay healthy.
Stanley keeps getting chances due to how effective he was at his peak. His various bumps and bruises have knocked him down from a peg, but Stanley is still being trusted with a great deal of responsibility.
Stanley did not want a fresh start this offseason, as he agreed to a restructured deal with the goal of being a Raven for his entire career. However, he knows that he could be on the first ride out of town if he struggles.
“I want to play here my whole career, but even if I’m saying I’ll play one more year for a lot less, it’s because, if this is my last year, I want to go out on a high note,” Stanley said, via The Athletic. “I want to play at the level that I know I can play at. The time that I missed, it would be something that I would have regretted.”
Ronnie Stanley gets honest about tough Ravens 2023 season
Stanley looked every bit the star player Baltimore envisioned he would be when they selected him No. 6 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft. Since his All-Pro season in 2019, however, injuries and his own decline in performance have led to many Ravens fans begging for a younger replacement.
On an offensive line that is replacing three starters from last year, only Stanley and center Tyler Linderbaum walked into the offseason with a starting spot locked up. This shows an inordinate amount of confidence in him from both John Harbaugh and Eric DeCosta, the latter of whom chose not to draft a possible long-term successor.
Stanley has never played every game in a season, and he hasn’t even made it to 14 games since 2019. The Ravens are continuing to lean on him due to the potential of what he could be when healthy, as his peak was to tantalizing that Harbaugh is willing to exhaust every option to get him back to that level.
While Stanley may never get his wish to only play in Baltimore, he is gearing up for what could be his swan song with the Ravens. If he goes out in a blaze of glory and contributes to Baltimore picking up their third championship in franchise history, Stanley can gain some assurance that his legacy as a Raven is safe,