The Baltimore Ravens were hit extremely hard by injuries in 2021, especially in their secondary. They needed to bring in multiple new faces from outside of the organization in order to deal with the ailments, and one of those players was then-former Ravens safety Tony Jefferson.
Jefferson played in four games with the team last season during his second stint with the team and stepped up in a big way, finishing the campaign with 17 total tackles and one sack. On Thursday afternoon, the team announced that they re-signed Jefferson, bringing him back after impressing in a big way during 2021.
The veteran is a physical player who can provide run support and even hold his own in coverage against running back and tight ends. He put all of those things on display in his limited action last year, and Baltimore clearly saw enough value in him to make sure he didn’t leave for another team.
Jefferson’s first go-round with the Ravens didn’t go exactly as planned. He signed a four-year deal worth up to $34 million, but wasn’t utilized correctly by the team and struggled at times in his role. He then suffered a gruesome knee injury in Week 5 of 2019 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, ending his season.
He was released during the 2020 offseason, and was looking for an opportunity before signing on with the San Francisco 49ers’ practice squad for a bit of the 2021 season. After being released by San Fransisco, he made his way back to Baltimore, where he finished out the year.
Jefferson seemingly will have a role that better suits him this time around, and he isn’t going to be asked to play a significant number of snaps unless the franchise is hampered by injuries once again in 2022. He works well in a limited role, but not having a full compliment of snaps can be a good thing for Jefferson. While he is certainly still extremely talented, he can stay fresh throughout games and give the Ravens a very quality player as a depth piece.
Overall, re-signing Jefferson was absolutely the right decision for Baltimore, especially with what he showed over the four games that he played in 2021. He isn’t going to be asked to be the best player on the Ravens’ defense, and he doesn’t have to be. He is loved and well-respected in the Baltimore locker room, and having a player like that who can also provide immense value on the field is a great thing to have. He was never going to break the bank to bring back, and now the Ravens have a solid contributor who is familiar with the team and can provide depth at a very important position.
Grade: A
