Marlon Humphrey
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Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey.
The Baltimore Ravens are about to get cracked for a massive, $26.2 million salary cap hit for veteran cornerback Marlon Humphrey — a number that might be holding the defense back more than anything Humphrey could do to help them on the field.
That’s why Pro Football Focus called Humphrey the team’s top trade asset, although the level of difficulty to deal Humphrey to a team in his age-30 season with such an exorbitant salary seems like too much to overcome on the surface.
“The Ravens have a roster capable of competing for a Super Bowl in 2026, and with recent investments in the secondary, Humphrey could emerge as a valuable trade asset,” PFF’s John Kosko wrote. “His experience and playmaking ability still carry weight despite a step back in 2025. Humphrey’s coverage versatility and physicality have produced 80.0-plus PFF grades in his peak seasons. With him entering the final year of his contract and set to turn 30 this summer, Baltimore could look to move on and recoup multiple assets to strengthen its overall depth.”
Ravens Built Excellent Secondary Through Draft
The Ravens have done a great job drafting secondary players the last few years — good enough that Humphrey has become expendable.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox put Humphrey, a 4-time Pro Bowler, on his list of the top NFL stars who could be trade targets this offseason, with the Los Angeles Rams as the most likely destination in exchange for a 2026 4th round pick and conditional 2027 7th round pick.
“The issue for Humphrey is the fact that he’ll turn 30 in July and is set to carry a cap hit of $26.3 million in 2026, the final year of his contract,” Knox wrote. “Cashing in Humphrey a year before he hits the open market could make some sense for the Ravens. Given Humphrey’s age, Baltimore might not expect more than a middle-round pick for Humphrey this offseason. While Humphrey was part of a bad defense in 2025, his status as a former Pro Bowler will likely draw interest from several cornerback-needy teams. The Los Angeles Rams, whose secondary struggled in the NFC Championship Game, might be near the front of the line to take a flier on Humphrey.”
Young Defensive Backs Can Carry the Load
The Ravens have used their last 2 first round picks on the secondary with cornerback Nate Wiggins in 2024 (No. 30 overall) and safety Malaki Starks in 2025 (No. 27 overall).
With NFL All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton locked down thanks to a 4-year, $100.4 million contract extension signed in August 2025, there really is no need to continue paying big money for Humphrey when the defensive front lacks so much.
Humphrey, like everyone else on the roster, is subject to the evaluation of new head coach Jesse Minter, who was Baltimore’s defensive backs coach for the first 4 years of Humphrey’s career after he was selected in the 1st round (No. 16 overall) of the 2017 NFL draft.
“I just wait and see if I’m part of the plans going forward or if I’m not,” Humphrey told the Ravens official website after Minter was hired.