The Baltimore Ravens haven’t made too many moves in free agency thus far, but they have made two huge ones.
The first was re-signing Ronnie Stanley to a three-year, $60 million deal, keeping the top offensive tackle in free agency home on a great value deal. The second was signing wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to a one-year, $5 million deal. Despite being 32 and signing a cheap contract, Hopkins is still one of the best receivers of his era and still has some gas left in the tank.
Stanley signed days before Hopkins did, so he had all the time in the world to react to the Ravens’ big outside acquisition.
“I mean I had a huge smile on my face when we signed ‘D-Hop,'” Stanley told reporters Monday. “You know what you’re getting with that guy. I think he’s a Hall of Fame-caliber wide receiver, and I still think he has a lot of good reps, years, seasons in him. And he’s a physical player, he’s a competitive player, and I think he’s going to fit into our team really well.”
A five-time Pro Bowl selection, Hopkins has 984 receptions for 12,965 yards and 83 touchdowns in his 13-year career. If he retired right now, his resume could easily land him in Canton.
Hopkins had a down year by his standards in 2024, as he had 56 receptions for 610 yards and five touchdowns in 16 games with the Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs. However, he comes to Baltimore with the expectation that he’ll be the team’s No. 3 receiver, not the No. 1 receiver he has been throughout the vast majority of his career. At this point, that’s a perfect fit for him.
While Hopkins is another boost to what was a historic offense in 2024, Stanley and the Ravens still have their sights on the ultimate prize.
“We’ve broken so many records in the last however many years – I don’t think we really care about it to be honest, especially the guys that have been here,” Stanley said. “I think the only thing we really care about is winning a Super Bowl. So yes, all that other stuff for sure is nice and all. But yes, [we] definitely [have] unfinished business. I don’t think anyone’s really happy.”
