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1:27
PM ET (April 11, 2019)
·
Jamison Hensley | ESPN Staff Writer
OWINGS
MILLS, Md. -- The Baltimore Ravens reached a
one-year extension with seven-time Pro Bowl guard Marshal
Yanda, a league source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Yanda, 34,
who was entering the final year of his four-year, $32 million contract, is now
tied to the Ravens through the 2020 season.
The
extension likely means Yanda can finish his career with the Ravens. A
third-round pick by Baltimore in 2007, Yanda has established himself as one of the NFL's top
interior linemen over the past decade.
General
manager Eric DeCosta recently expressed a desire for Yanda to play beyond this
season. Then, on Wednesday night, DeCosta celebrated his 48th birthday by
striking this extension with Yanda.
"In regards to Marshal, we love Marshal, and
we'd love Marshal to continue to play for us for years," DeCosta said at
the team's pre-draft news conference on April 2. "He's a great player.
He's still playing at a high level. He's a Raven. You can define a Raven and
put a picture of Marshal Yanda up there, and that's him."
Yanda said
at the Ed Block Courage Awards last month that he was enjoying a healthy
offseason for the first time in a couple of years. He had already begun lifting
and running.
Known for
his toughness and technique, Yanda was a key member of the Ravens' run-heavy
offense with quarterback Lamar Jackson. Last
season, he led an offensive line that has helped the Ravens produce the NFL's
No. 2 rushing attack (141.9 yards per game).
If Yanda
continues to play at a high level for the next two years, it will increase his
candidacy for Canton.
"He's just a special human being and a
special player," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said a few years ago.
"And he's a Hall of Famer someday."
With Yanda
signed, the next Ravens players in line for an extension include kicker Justin Tucker, outside linebacker Matthew Judon, offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley, inside linebacker Patrick Onwuasor and
defensive tackle Michael Pierce.
