{"id":52665,"date":"2025-06-01T08:05:52","date_gmt":"2025-06-01T08:05:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=52665"},"modified":"2025-06-01T08:05:52","modified_gmt":"2025-06-01T08:05:52","slug":"ravens-kyle-hamilton-expected-to-become-nfls-highest-paid-safety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=52665","title":{"rendered":"Ravens\u2019 Kyle Hamilton Expected To Become NFL\u2019s Highest-Paid Safety"},"content":{"rendered":"

Plenty of time remains for\u00a0K<\/a>yle Hamilton\u00a0<\/strong>and the Ravens to work out an extension. The All-Pro safety expectedly had his\u00a0fifth-year option picked up\u00a0earlier this spring.\"\"<\/p>\n

As a result of that move, Hamilton is on the books through 2026. The option year is valued at $18.6MM, but a long-term accord will check in at a much higher rate. Indeed,\u00a0as ESPN\u2019s Jamison Hensley writes, Hamilton is expected to become the league\u2019s highest-paid safety whenever his extension is worked out.<\/p>\n

After operating on a part-time basis during his rookie season, the Notre Dame product took on a starting role in 2023. Hamilton emerged as a foundational member of Baltimore\u2019s defense that year, totaling four interceptions, 13 pass deflections and 10 tackles for loss. Those figures helped earn him first-team All-Pro acclaim and led to high expectations for this past campaign.<\/p>\n

Hamilton endured a statistical regression in some categories in 2024, although his 107 tackles set a new career high en route to a second straight Pro Bowl nod. At the age of 24, he represents a key member of the Ravens\u2019 secondary now but also for the foreseeable future. His second contract will no doubt reflect that, although a new pact may not be in place by the start of the coming campaign. Baltimore has other extension priorities, including fellow 2022 first-rounder\u00a0Tyler Linderbaum<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The Ravens declined their center\u2019s fifth-year option, leaving him on track for free agency next spring as things stand. Linderbaum \u2013 just like Hamilton \u2013 is a\u00a0strong candidate for a new deal, but the timing of his may be accelerated by the option decision. In any event, Hamilton will be joined by first-round rookie\u00a0Malaki Starks\u00a0<\/strong>as a safety starter while remaining a critical member of Baltimore\u2019s defense in 2025.<\/p>\n

When\u00a0Antoine Winfield\u00a0Jr.\u00a0<\/strong>inked his Buccaneers extension last offseason, he became the first safety to surpass $20MM in average annual earnings. That deal also marked the first time in which a safety was the league\u2019s top earner amongst defensive backs. The cornerback market has since surged to $30MM per year, and Winfield has already been surpassed at the top of the pecking order for safeties.\u00a0Kerby Joseph\u00a0<\/strong>secured\u00a0$21.25MM on average\u00a0with his Lions extension last month.<\/p>\n

It would come as no surprise if Hamilton were to surpass that figure whenever his next contract takes shape. In the meantime, the Ravens will look into extensions for Linderbaum and \u2013 perhaps as early as this offseason \u2013\u00a0Lamar Jackson<\/strong>. Those deals will offer more financial clarity on where the team stands entering the 2026 offseason. By the time it ends, Hamilton will likely account for a sizable portion of Baltimore\u2019s finances over the course of several years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Plenty of time remains for\u00a0Kyle Hamilton\u00a0and the Ravens to work out an extension. The All-Pro safety expectedly had his\u00a0fifth-year option picked up\u00a0earlier this spring. As a result… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":52666,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-52665","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\nRavens\u2019 Kyle Hamilton Expected To Become NFL\u2019s Highest-Paid Safety - 24\/7 News America<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=52665\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ravens\u2019 Kyle Hamilton Expected To Become NFL\u2019s Highest-Paid Safety - 24\/7 News America\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Plenty of time remains for\u00a0Kyle Hamilton\u00a0and the Ravens to work out an extension. 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