Ravens Will Have Work to Do to Manage 2027 Salary Cap

The restructuring of Lamar Jackson's contract opened up cap space for 2026, but it increased his 2027 cap number.

Mar. 20, 2026 at 6:59pm

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The Baltimore Ravens are in good salary-cap shape for the 2026 season, but they will have work to do to make the 2027 cap manageable. The restructuring of quarterback Lamar Jackson's contract opened up just under $40 million in cap space for this season, but it made his 2027 cap number rise from $74.5 million to $84.49 million. Other players like inside linebacker Roquan Smith, defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, safety Kyle Hamilton, and tight end Mark Andrews also have significant cap numbers in 2027.

Why it matters

Being tight against the cap is the price to pay for having star players, and the Ravens will need to find ways to create cap space in 2027 to keep their core roster intact. This could involve contract extensions, restructures, or other cap-saving moves.

The details

The Ravens have time to figure out how to make the 2027 cap work. The first domino that could fall is a contract extension for Jackson. Other players with high 2027 cap hits include Smith ($32.7 million), Madubuike ($31.475 million), Hamilton ($26 million), and Andrews ($14.7 million).

  • The restructuring of Lamar Jackson's contract opened up just under $40 million in cap space for the 2026 season.

The players

Lamar Jackson

The Ravens' starting quarterback whose contract restructuring opened up cap space for 2026 but increased his 2027 cap number.

Roquan Smith

The Ravens' starting inside linebacker who has a $32.7 million cap hit in 2027.

Nnamdi Madubuike

The Ravens' starting defensive tackle who has a $31.475 million cap hit in 2027.

Kyle Hamilton

The Ravens' starting safety whose cap hit more than doubles from $10.7 million in 2026 to $26 million in 2027.

Mark Andrews

The Ravens' starting tight end whose cap hit increases from just under $7 million in 2026 to about $14.7 million in 2027.

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What they’re saying

“Two of the top three contracts remain just as high [next season]. [Inside linebacker Roquan] Smith's cap hit stays steady at $32.7 million, while [defensive tackle Nnamdi] Madubuike's makes a small jump from $30.975 million to $31.475 million. It's unclear if Madubuike will return this season after suffering a season-ending neck injury early in 2025.”

— Giana Han, Baltimore Banners

“Being tight against the cap is the price to pay for stars.”

— Giana Han, Baltimore Banners

What’s next

The first domino that could fall is a contract extension for Lamar Jackson.

The takeaway

The Ravens will need to find creative ways to manage their 2027 salary cap, which includes high cap hits for several key players like Lamar Jackson, Roquan Smith, Nnamdi Madubuike, Kyle Hamilton, and Mark Andrews. Extending Jackson's contract could be a first step, but the team will likely need to make other cap-saving moves to keep their core roster intact.