Ravens All-Pro guard Marshal Yanda has decided to retire after 13 NFL seasons, ending one of the best careers in Ravens history and answering one of the team’s most pressing offseason questions heading into the 2020 season.
The move was widely expected although Yanda publicly had been noncommittal since the end of the season. The retirement, which officially will be announced at a news conference March 11, was first reported by Barstool Sports.
Yanda, 35, a third-round draft pick out of Iowa in 2007, made the Pro Bowl every year from 2011 to 2019 except for 2017, when he missed virtually the entire season with an ankle injury. His eight Pro Bowl honors are the most of any active NFL guard. He was named First-Team All-Pro twice and Second-Team All-Pro four times, including this past season.
The Ravens surely wanted clarity on Yanda’s situation before free agency begins next week, though they already were preparing for life after Yanda. Last spring, Yanda signed a contract extension through the 2020 season, and his retirement will free up about $7 million in cap space.
