The Ravens continue to secure their future, as they signed dominant nose tackle Travis Jones to a three-year contract extension Thursday.
Jones, 26, was projected to be one of the top free agents in the 2026 class, though there are reports that he could have been a restricted free agent. Instead, the Ravens and Jones got their business done ahead of time.
"'Big Trav' is an ascending player and having him continue to man the middle of our defense is very exciting," General Manager Eric DeCosta stated.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, it's a $40.5 million extension, which would put Jones at 27th in the NFL next year among all interior defensive linemen, per Spotrac. The Ravens reached the deal just a week after inking an extension with veteran tight end Mark Andrews.
The 6-foot-4, 341-pound Jones has 34 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 12 games this season. With four games left, his six tackles for loss are a career high and his five quarterback hits are tied for a career high.
Among full-time starters, he is the 13th-highest graded interior defensive lineman in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus. Over his four seasons so far, he has 136 tackles and five sacks, and the future is even brighter.
It's hard to quantify how much Jones does for the Ravens defense. He's relied on heavily, playing 67% of the Ravens' defensive snaps this season. Jones excels in his run defense, but Baltimore also uses him in pass rush situations – a rare ability for a nose tackle.
Talk to anyone on the Ravens' defensive or offensive line and they'll rave about how special Jones can be. This summer, Ravens Defensive Line Coach Dennis Johnson said, "I expect Travis to be the best player on the field whenever he's on the field."
Jones has played through ankle and knee injuries each of the past two seasons. He's also been one of the Ravens' hardest offseason workers.
It was also important for the Ravens to secure the future of their defensive line with Nnamdi Madubuike dealing with a neck injury. Madubuike, who signed a four-year reported $98 million contract extension before the 2023 season, has been sidelined for much of the year.
Asked this week about Madubuike's status, Head Coach John Harbaugh said, "There's a lot going on there with Nnamdi. I'd love to share some stuff, but I can't share it right now."
