Eric DeCosta isn’t backing away from Marlon Humphrey - he’s betting on a bounce-back.
After a rough 2025 season for the Baltimore Ravens, Humphrey found himself at the center of the conversation. The four-time Pro Bowl cornerback still led the team with four interceptions for the second straight year, which was also the second-highest single-season total of his career.
But that number didn’t tell the whole story. The two-time First Team All Pro selection went from a defender who routinely delivered clutch stops in 2024 to one who gave up too many damaging plays at the worst possible times last season.
That downturn, paired with a cap number that climbs to $26.2 million in the final year of his deal, had plenty of people wondering whether the Ravens would move on or push for a pay cut. Instead, they kept him right where he is.
The message from Baltimore is pretty clear: they believe Humphrey still has a big year left in him, and maybe more than one. That 2026 season matters, because it could shape whether he finishes his career where it started, with the Ravens after being drafted in the first round in 2017.
"I would say that he has been a historic Raven in many ways - multi-time All-Pro, highly competitive, Pro Bowler, a leader here," general manager Eric DeCosta said. "I think he is going to have a great year.
[He] had a great year a couple years ago. [He] did not have his best year - he would say that, I think he has said it - [he] did not have a great year last year.
I feel confident he is going to rebound and have a great year this year. That is what that decision is about."
DeCosta also made the bigger roster-building point: veteran corners who’ve performed at a high level are tough to come by, and teams with real title hopes can’t have too many of them.
"Veteran corners who have played at very high levels are hard to find, and we are excited to see him play this year," DeCosta said.
The Ravens also made a quieter statement with their captain and leadership group announcement on Thursday. Humphrey wasn’t included, and that set off plenty of reaction from fans and local media. But the absence looks less like a rebuke and more like a sign of where the secondary is headed.
Kyle Hamilton has become the clear voice of that unit. The three-time All Pro safety was included among the team’s leaders, and it fits the way he’s grown into a louder, more visible presence. He’s also one of the most important players on the roster, both now and going forward.
Hamilton is part of what could be the league’s best safety trio this season, alongside second-year pro Malaki Starks and veteran Jaylinn Hawkins. Jesse Minter has enough versatility there to move pieces around and create problems for offenses in a lot of different ways.
The cornerback room is changing too. Nate Wiggins has already taken over as the Ravens’ No. 1 corner, and last season he recorded career highs with 14 pass breakups and three interceptions. Baltimore will lean on him to match up with opposing top receivers and help support the man-coverage looks the Ravens want to use more often.
There’s also depth behind him, and the future of the position may already be forming. T.J.
Tampa, Keyon Martin and Chandler Rivers are all under contract beyond this year. Martin and Rivers are expected to mix in at nickel with Humphrey and Hamilton, while Tampa and Chidobe Awuzie will handle part of the boundary rotation.
Bihlal Kone, who begins the year on short-term injured reserve, could also grow into a useful rotational piece.
For Humphrey, though, the season is about much more than depth charts or leadership labels. The Ravens are paying him like a player they still trust. Now they’re waiting to see if he plays like one.
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