Ronnie Stanley picked a good time to finally be healthy.
Stanley, 30, had missed 36 games over the previous five years while with the Baltimore Ravens. Then, on a prove-it deal of one year and $7 million, the offensive tackle was able to play all 17 regular-season games before suiting up for the wild-card and divisional rounds.
Now, with the incoming draft class largely seen as weak at offensive tackle, Stanley should have a robust free agent market. The Ravens can’t be discounted in bringing him back, although they have limited cap space. And if Baltimore doesn’t retain its star left tackle, expect a bidding war for his services.
So where does Stanley land? Let’s examine.
1. Baltimore Ravens
While Stanley is going to be expensive, the Ravens desperately need to keep him. He’s been one of the franchise’s best players over the past decade and the blindside protector of two-time MVP Lamar Jackson.
Last year, Baltimore struggled up front to start the season with a revamped line but got much better as the year progressed. General manager Eric DeCosta could allow Stanley to leave while trying to replace him in the draft, but picking at No. 27, DeCosta will either need to get lucky or move up to secure a promising Day 1 starter.
Stanley won’t be easy to fit into Baltimore’s financial plans as the team projects to have just $5.9 million in space, but it’s almost always possible to make it work from a cap perspective.
2. Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs being second on the list might be enough to get Baltimore to sign Stanley on its own. But if he does get out of Charm City, look for Kansas City to make an aggressive push.
In the past, GM Brett Veach has almost always eschewed spending big money on players into their 30s. However, he was willing to make an exception in the 2021 offseason, when he tried to sign future Hall of Fame left tackle Trent Williams away from the San Francisco 49ers. At the time, Williams was 32 years old and would turn 33 before the season.
Kansas City was humiliated in Super Bowl LIX by the Philadelphia Eagles, largely because of a pass rush that produced six sacks and countless pressures. Veach knows he must protect Patrick Mahomes, and signing Stanley would go a long way in that regard.
3. Chicago Bears
Chicago was supposed to be one of the best landing spots we’d seen in the last quarter-century for a rookie quarterback. Instead, Caleb Williams was relentlessly sacked and pressured as Chicago went 5–12, resulting in the firing of coach Matt Eberflus.
The Bears have been trying to get by with a patchwork offensive line for years, and it’s about to cost GM Ryan Poles his position. Poles must invest heavily and has the cap space to do it, sitting on approximately $62.9 million. There’s a world where Chicago doubles down on the line, signing a left tackle such as Stanley before looking inward to upgrade at guard.
If Chicago is going to get the most out of first-year coach Ben Johnson, the offensive line must be significantly improved. Johnson’s schemes worked with the Detroit Lions because his offensive line was the best in football. The Bears don't have to have the best line, but it must be functional.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFL Free Agency 2025: Top Three Landing Spots for OT Ronnie Stanley.
