Kyle Hamilton is so good that the Ravens had to create a new salary tier for him amid record-shattering contract extension
Kyle Hamilton is so good that the Ravens had to create a new salary tier for him amid record-shattering contract extension
It isn’t just that Kyle Hamilton is getting paid that’s worth celebrating…it’s how much of a record-setting contract this really is.
Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton
The Baltimore Ravens have a firm argument to say they’re home to the best secondary in the NFL. A major piece of that puzzle is star defender Kyle Hamilton, who serves as one of the critical chess pieces of the Ravens’ roster and offers supreme scheme versatility on a week-to-week basis. Hamilton can now claim several titles of his own, including the highest-paid safety in the NFL.
General manager Eric DeCosta announced on Wednesday that the Ravens and Hamilton had agreed to terms on a four-year contract extension.
Ravens extend star safety Kyle Hamilton on a record-setting contract
The #Ravens and All-Pro Safety Kyle Hamilton have agreed to a record breaking 4-year extension worth over $100M with $82M guaranteed. The deal – which averages $25.1M per year – makes Hamilton the highest paid S in NFL history and the highest paid non-QB in Ravens history in a… https://t.co/1L8WiezRK6
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 27, 2025
Hamilton’s four-year extension is worth $25.1 million per season, a monster figure that dwarfs the annual average that Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph achieved earlier this offseason. Joseph’s deal was four years, $86 million — an annual average of $21.5 million per year. Hamilton’s contract, per reports, has $82 million in guarantees. That’s nearly twice the total of guaranteed money in the next-highest safety contract (Antoine Winfield Jr.’s $45 million in practical guarantees).
It’s better to measure Hamilton’s compensation against cornerbacks since he’s now getting paid like a top-three corner. . . as a safety. Only Derek Stingley Jr. and Sauce Gardner’s annual average and practical guarantee figures surpass what Hamilton will get from the Ravens. Twelve months ago, Hamilton’s terms would have qualified as the highest-paid defensive back in football.
It’s hard to argue with the decision, given Hamilton’s rare blend of traits and how he can blur the lines of Baltimore’s defensive personnel. The Ravens have no shortage of big contracts to sort out, including center Tyler Linderbaum. Linderbaum was drafted in the same class as Hamilton, and the Ravens declined his fifth-year option for 2026 — they’ll be looking to get that contract done next. And then there’s quarterback Lamar Jackson, who could be in line for another record-setting extension of his own after some stellar play the last few seasons.
It’s safe to assume that the Ravens aren’t done yet. But getting the first big domino to fall is a huge step in the right direction. Everyone involved should feel thankful that Hamilton is in place for years to come. But no one should feel more thankful than Hamilton — he’s just secured generational wealth and a record-setting contract that should hold the top spot for the foreseeable future.
Shedeur Sanders’ Future With Browns in Jeopardy After Latest Mock Draft Projection
The Cleveland Browns selected two quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft, but that won’t stop them from taking another in 2026.
Cleveland is expected to be near the bottom of the standings again with Joe Flacco as the starting quarterback. Despite the team still having Deshaun Watson under contract and Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders as rookies, one insider expects them to use their first-round pick in 2026 on a franchise quarterback.
NFL insider and analyst Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic projects the Browns will have the second overall pick and will select LaNorris Sellers from South Carolina.
“So much of this depends on what we see from the 20-year-old Sellers this season. He had some very nice stretches in the pocket as a sophomore last season, though, while remaining dangerous in the open field— and difficult to tackle at 6 feet 3, 242 pounds. He has youthful habits to iron out, but Sellers has the tools to be a star at the next level,” Baumgardner wrote.
Sellers would take over the Browns’ starting quarterback and could push Sanders off the roster. Sanders is already the third-string quarterback, so he would once again be in a competition for a roster spot.
Sanders was selected in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Browns. He will be inactive on game days as the third quarterback.
Sellers Compared to Former Browns Rival QB
Sellers has gained a lot of momentum as a potential early pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, entering the college football season.
The South Carolina quarterback has expectations of leading the Gamecocks to the College Football Playoff. After Week 1 of the season, former NFL quarterback and now analyst Dan Orlovsky compared Sellers to former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
“Because he is Big Ben, but fast,” said Orlovsky. “He’s 6’3”, 235 pounds. A tremendous athlete, but the ability that he has shown to throw the ball downfield has grown. He’s one of the best quarterbacks in football,” Orlovsky said.
If Sellers has a career like Roethlisberger, it would be a solid one, as Roethlisberger played 18 seasons in the NFL, all for the Steelers.
He’s a two-time Super Bowl champion and six-time Pro Bowler.
Sanders Was Confident He’d Make the Browns
Entering training camp, Sanders was in a competition for a roster spot.
Cleveland had four healthy quarterbacks in Flacco, Gabriel, Sanders, and Kenny Pickett competing for three spots. The Browns ended up trading Pickett away, meaning Sanders made the roster, but he didn’t think it was a question of whether he would make the roster.
“Obviously,” Sanders said to NFL Network’s Bridget Condon. “I think overall as a player, I feel like I’ve put in the work. I feel like everything I do, I try to do it to my best and that’s all you can ask for, I feel like everybody feels like they should be on the team. If you ask anybody on the team would they feel like they belong, they belong in they own eyes. I feel like I do, but I’m my own player. I think about myself in a high regard.”
Despite making the roster, Sanders will serve as an inactive throughout the season.
