QB
37
JO
RDAN
NAH
OLO
WA’A M
URPH
(M
AYFIELD); DAVID E. KLU
THO
(SM
ITH
-SCH
USTER); RO
B CARR/GETTY IM
AGES (JACKSO
N); N
ICK CAM
METT/DIAM
ON
D IM
AGES/GETTY IM
AGES (ATKIN
S)
DT
Geno
Atkins
After playing nine seasons and winning Super Bowl XLVIII with the Seahawks, Earl Thomas
left Seattle to sign a four-year, $55 million dollar contract with the Ravens. It’s a risky pickup
by Baltimore: The 30-year-old free safety only played four games in 2018 after breaking
his left leg in Week 4. But when he’s healthy, Thomas is one of the best safeties around.
He’ll make the league’s best defense even better.
The offense also has a new leader: Lamar Jackson. Midway through his rookie season,
the quarterback took over for an injured Joe Flacco, who had been the team’s starter
for more than a decade. In seven starts, Jackson threw for 1,114 yards and five TDs,
while rushing for 556 yards and four scores. The Ravens went 6–1 with Jackson
under center, but fans booed him mercilessly when he struggled in a 23–17 loss to the
Chargers in the wild-card round. Assuming the coaching staff is more patient than the fan
base, Baltimore could end up with another QB who can hold down the position for a decade.
