Marcus

Williams

He’ll join Julian Blackmon on the safety tryout circuit in Carolina. Williams was released by the Ravens in a move that had been expected for months earlier in March. This is the first known outside interest we’ve seen for him. Entering his age-29 season, the safety has a long track record of NFL success but posted a dreadful 37.3 PFF coverage grade in 601 defensive snaps last year before the Ravens moved him out of the lineup in Week 11.

Williams will be designated as a June 1 cut for cap purposes. The 28-year-old safety was signed to a five-year, $70 million contract back in 2022, but he and Arthur Maulet both are cap casualties that won’t be part of Baltimore’s secondary in 2025. Williams will likely see a decent market as a player that doesn’t turn 29 until September, albeit for nowhere close to the money he was making with the Ravens.

Williams signed a five-year, $70 million contract with the Ravens during the 2022 offseason and saw himself get benched last season. He restructured his contract in January to pave the way to be designated as a post-June 1 cut, which will still result in a dead cap hit of $6.723 million for the Ravens in 2025 and 2026. Williams has started 106 of the 108 games he’s appeared in over his career, forcing 20 interceptions while also recovering four fumbles. He’ll turn 29 at the start of next season and could have a chance to rehab his career elsewhere.

The defensive turnaround of the Ravens in 2024 can be traced almost directly to benching Williams and installing Kyle Hamilton at free safety. Williams has been a healthy scratch for the last five weeks and hasn’t played meaningful snaps since Week 10. Both sides likely see a release as the best way for Williams to continue his career elsewhere. The major free-agent signing played just three seasons in Baltimore after the Saints let him walk, with injuries impacting him in both 2022 and 2023. He’ll be 29 and is likely to be regarded as a flier in free agency once he gets there.

Williams has been sidelined by two different injuries through the first nine weeks of the season, but will be back for this week’s matchup against the Browns. Since signing a five-year, $70 million contract with the Ravens last offseason, Williams has appeared in 13 of a possible 26 regular season games, totaling 71 tackles, two TFLs and four interceptions. When active, he’s among the league’s be safeties. He’ll look to get back to his ball hawking ways in Week 10 against the Browns.

Williams has been dealing with a hamstring issue for a few weeks and returns to practice this week after a two-game absence. NFL interceptions leader Geno Stone has started in place of Williams, who will have a shot to return for Week 9. It is possible the Ravens keep him out to be cautious and keep starting a surging Stone, but the veteran Williams is close to a return.

Williams was able to work out on the side field with trainers, but has still not made his way back to team drills. The veteran safety was injured in Week 6 and inactive for Week 7’s game against the Lions. Geno Stone has filled in for Williams and could get another shot this week with the Ravens facing a Cardinals team that has not been able to challenge many defenses over the top.

Also inactive for the Ravens are CB Kevon Seymour, LB Jeremiah Moon, C Sam Mustipher, OG Malaesala Aumavae–Laulu, and QB Josh Johnson. Williams has dealt with a shoulder injury this season, and now will miss Week 7 with a hamstring injury. S Geno Stone has filled in nicely for Williams, who will try to return for Week 8 against the Cardinals.

Williams went down the hamstring issue last week and was unable to practice at all this week. He could miss at least another game while recovering. Cornerback Kevon Seymour is dealing with an ankle issue and has also been ruled out.

Williams went down with the hamstring issue in Week 6. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said Williams is “iffy” for Week 7. It sounds like he will miss at least a week because of the hamstring issue. Defensive end Brent Urban and cornerback Kevon Seymour also missed practice on Wednesday.