A familiar face is returning to the league — could he also return to the Ravens?
On Tuesday morning, NFL Insider Jordan Schultz reported that veteran safety Tony Jefferson was set to unretire and plans to return to the league in 2024. Shortly thereafter, the former Raven took to social media to confirm the news himself.
We are so back. Dialed in ⏰ pic.twitter.com/Z0pfDR7WVi
— Tony Jefferson (@Tljefferson23) May 28, 2024
Schultz noted that Jefferson has been training and intends to begin talking to teams in the “near future” as he seeks a landing spot for his return to playing action. Jefferson, 32, previously announced his retirement in March of last year. Two months later, the Ravens brought Jefferson onto their staff as a scouting intern for the summer.
The 10-year veteran last played for the New York Giants in 2022 under former Ravens’ defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale. He appeared in nine games and played 164 snaps on defense, recording 23 combined tackles. Prior to this stint, Jefferson had two separate tenures in Baltimore.
The Ravens originally signed Jefferson to a lucrative contract in 2017 after four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. Jefferson joined the team as a full-time starter alongside Eric Weddle in the secondary. He started 35 games in three seasons for the Ravens but his 2019 campaign was cut short after suffering a season-ending injury in Week 5.
He was released by the team and had a very brief stint the San Francisco 49ers in 2021 but was cut by them after only two appearances. Later that same year, Jefferson was scooped back up by the Ravens during the back half of the season. Amidst a slew of injuries in the defensive backfield, Jefferson played some valuable snaps for the Ravens on both defense and special teams.
Now, after one year absent from playing, Jefferson will attempt to reignite his playing career. Oddly enough, the Ravens happen to be in the safety market right now as they attempt to fill out their roster for the 2024 season. After losing Geno Stone in free agency, the team lacks established depth behind starters Marcus Williams and Kyle Hamilton.
The Ravens hosted Jamal Adams for a free agent visit last week and will likely continue to survey the pool of available veterans in the coming weeks. Given his familiarity with the organization, another reunion for Jefferson in Baltimore seems entirely plausible. It’s also possible that either or both parties will want to go in a different direction.
Either way, Jefferson’s return to the NFL is an exciting new storyline and many Ravens fans will likely be rooting for him to succeed regardless of where he ends up in 2024.