4 moves Ravens must make to clear salary cap space in 2026 NFL offseason

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4 moves Ravens must make to clear salary cap space in 2026 NFL offseason

Ben Strauss, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Sun, Feb 22, 2026 ·

5 min read

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The Baltimore Ravens are entering a new era in 2026. John Harbaugh is out after 18 seasons following a crushing mistake by Tyler Loop that kept the Ravens out of the playoffs. Now Jesse Minter joins the team as a first-year head coach and will be tasked with getting the Ravens back to the playoffs in a hurry.

If the Ravens want to make that happen as quickly as possible, they'll need as many resources as they can muster this offseason. That includes simply freeing up more salary cap space.

Baltimore enters the offseason with roughly $22.04 million in cap space . That does give them enough budget to sign a few players during NFL free agency in March. However, it leaves them almost no wiggle room.

It would not surprise me to see the Ravens make a couple roster moves to free up additional cap space before free agency.

But how will Baltimore go about shedding cap space? And will it require them to part with any important players?

Below we will explore four roster moves the Ravens need to make to save salary cap space during the 2026 NFL offseason.

H2goeshere restructure Lamar Jackson 's contract

Perhaps one of the best ways Baltimore could create more cap space is restructuring Lamar's current contract.

Jackson has a whopping $74.5 million cap hit during the 2026 season. That is roughly one quarter of the NFL's $303.5 million salary cap, which puts significant stress on Baltimore's ability to add new players this offseason.

Reducing Jackson's massive cap hit could be the difference between landing a priority free agent and missing out. For that reason alone, the Ravens need to at least explore this possibility.

Lamar has a base salary of $51.25 million in 2026. The Ravens could convert a large chunk of that into a signing bonus to gain some cap space. It is important to note that Jackson's contract does include two void years, which is essential for spreading a signing bonus out over multiple seasons.

Another route could be renegotiating a long-term extension with Jackson this offseason. That would both keep him in Baltimore for additional seasons and give the team the opportunity to lower his cap hit in 2026.

The biggest downside to that option is the necessity of negotiating with Lamar and his agent.

Either way, the Ravens need to put some work into Lamar's contract to help reduce his cap hit.

Baltimore needs to cut Tavius Robinson , Brockerick Washington

The Ravens could always go with the simple approach and just cut a few players.

I see a few tempting options on Baltimore's roster that could create some cap space without hurting the team's competitiveness too much.

The first move I would make is cutting reserve defensive lineman Broderick Washington. He went on injured reserve early in the season with an Achilles injury alongside Nnami Madubuike.

Baltimore would be right to worry about Washington's career in the NFL after suffering such a major injury. His future in Baltimore is far from guaranteed.

The Ravens can save $4 million in cap space by simply cutting Washington. I think cutting Washington, then replacing him with a rookie, would be a great pair of moves.

Meanwhile, Baltimore could also cut reserve edge rusher Tavius Robinson.

The 2023 third-round pick has been a rotational pass rusher for the past three seasons. He's been fairly consistent, missing only seven games during his career.

Cutting Robinson is not an obvious move like cutting Washington is. In fact, I could understand if the Ravens decide to keep him for one more season then let him walk in free agency the following offseason.

Ultimately, Baltimore could save an additional $3.61 million in cap space by cutting Robinson this offseason.

I think this move is also worthwhile, as long as the Ravens can replace him with a cheaper player.

Should the Ravens trade Marlon Humphrey to an NFC contender?

This is easily the most controversial move on the entire list.

Now could be a smart time to move on from four-time Pro Bowler Marlon Humphrey .

The veteran cornerback has been a mainstay in Baltimore's secondary for years. He proved that he's still got it in 2025, hauling in four interceptions during the regular season. But he is nearing the end of his current contract and is getting up there in age.

If the Ravens trade him this offseason, they could get a solid return. That is, if they can find a trade partner.

Humphrey currently has a $26.28 million cap hit in 2026 . If the Ravens can trade him, they'll save $7.33 million in cap space. Any team trading for Humphrey would be forced to take on a $19.25 million cap hit.

In my eyes, the only reasonable trade partner for Humphrey is another contending team. Those are the only teams that may want to add a talent like Humphrey on what could be a one-year rental at a high price.

Perhaps an NFC contender like the Rams, Seahawks, or Lions could take a swing at Humphrey.

This trade only makes sense for Baltimore if they get a good return for Humphrey. Otherwise, they're better off keeping him for (at least) one more season.

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