The Baltimore Ravens were the best team in the AFC last season, finishing in first place with a 13-4 record. Of course, they didn't see the same success in the playoffs, losing to the eventual Super Bowl Champions Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship. But that shouldn't fully detract from an exceptional regular season.
While MVP-winning Lamar Jackson deservedly received a lot of the hype, one of the other key pieces to that run was defensive tackle Justin Madubuike. He finished the season with 56 combined tackles, 13 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, and a forced fumble—all career bests.
The Ravens rewarded their star with a four-year contract worth $98 million. The deal includes $75.5 million in guaranteed money and $53.5 million due at signing. Both the guarantees and signing bonuses are records for defensive tackles. Azubuike's $24.5 million average is behind only Aaron Donald, who's making $31.6 million per year with the Los Angeles Rams.
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This past season was easily Madubuike's strongest in his four-year career. In addition to those career highs, he also made the Pro Bowl and was named to the All-Pro second team. It's the first time he's accomplished both of those feats.
The Ravens drafted Azubuike in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft. To this point in his career, he's earned a little more than $6.4 million over four seasons. He'll make about four times that much next year alone.
Initially, the Ravens placed the franchise tag on Madubuike, but it was simply so the defensive tackle didn't test free agency and potentially sign with another team. Now, he's back in Baltimore on a long-term deal.
While setting more career highs across the stat sheet would be a nice bonus, the Ravens are hoping Madubuike can help deliver a Super Bowl title.
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