Keaton Mitchell is set to hit the open market.
The Ravens have reportedly not offered him a restricted free agent tender, per The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec.
A right of first refusal tender would have cost $3.52 million for one year. The Ravens could have matched any other team's offer sheet.
The Ravens already have a fair amount of money tied up in their backfield between Derrick Henry and Justice Hill. Hill will carry a $3.8 million salary cap figure in 2026, per OvertheCap.com.
Hill offers more than Mitchell as a pass catcher, and the Ravens have had a tough time finding snaps for Mitchell because it almost always means taking Henry off the field.
While Mitchell's breakaway playmaking ability has long been tantalizing, injuries have slowed the speedster down over his three seasons.
He broke out as an undrafted rookie in 2023, averaging 8.4 yards per carry – the most among all NFL running backs. But a late-season knee injury ended his Cinderella story and cost him almost all of the following season, too.
Mitchell returned to play 13 games last season, but he was a healthy scratch for some games in the beginning of the year. He finished with 341 rushing yards and one touchdown (5.8 yards per attempt) and caught nine passes for 63 yards.
Hill missed the final six games of last season due to a neck injury. While he hasn't had as many rushing highlights as Mitchell, Hill has been a highly effective third-down back. His 42 receptions in 2024 were tied for the fourth-most on the team.
