Ravens’ latest timely contract extension won’t take long to pay off for Baltimore

Contracts that get done early usually age well.

Kyle Crabbs — NFL National Writer

Dec 11, 2025 12:18 PM EST

The Baltimore Ravens may not be having the season they wanted, but it isn’t stopping general manager Eric DeCosta from continuing on his way. It’s been business as usual for DeCosta over the course of the last few weeks, with the team securing a fresh contact extension with tight end Mark Andrews before striking another deal this morning.

Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reported this morning that the Ravens have also come to terms on a contract extension with defensive tackle Travis Jones — making him the second significant three-year extension the Ravens have handed out as this season nears the finish line.

Nose tackle Travis Jones agrees to terms on a three-year extension in Baltimore

Terms update: Ravens are signing NT Travis Jones to a three-year, $40.5 million contract extension that ties him to Baltimore through the 2028 season. https://t.co/rFMhrEC3MR
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 11, 2025

Jones, a fourth-year defensive tackle who the Ravens drafted with the 76th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, was scheduled to become a free agent this offseason. Instead, his status as a defensive pillar is now secure. He joins safety Kyle Hamilton as young players to get fresh deals from the team this season.

On the surface, the deal comes across as great value for the Ravens. Getting this deal done now, just ahead of the offseason when agents will start leveraging their negotiation points to an elevated salary cap, is a good bit of business for DeCosta and will help this contract age even more gracefully. Jones is pushing for a career-high in snaps this season and his usage rate has increased in each of his first four seasons in the NFL, which only further amplifies the value at $13.5 million per season.

By striking this deal now, Jones sneaks in before new contracts to 2023 NFL Draft players such as Kobie Turner, Jalen Carter, Gervon Dexter, Calijah Kancey, and others. With those contracts looming and the cap rising annually, the price today will not be the price tomorrow.

No, Jones is not a splash player in the passing game. But he is a physical anchor in the middle who offers alignment versatility and the ability to reset the line of scrimmage with physicality. Teams need players like these — dirty work maulers who give you some “nasty” in the trenches. Baltimore has enjoyed Jones’ contributions on that front for the past four seasons. And now, they’ll be able to continue for the next three, as well.