Ravens Secure Star Safety Kyle Hamilton Through 2026
The Baltimore Ravens made an important offseason move by locking up one of their brightest young stars. On Wednesday, the team formally picked up the fifth-year option on Safety Kyle Hamilton’s rookie contract. He will remain with the purple and black through the 2026 season. While the $18.6 million annual price tag is expensive, no one can deny Hamilton’s worth. This transaction is merely a stopgap measure in the making of something more established.
The 24-year-old has quickly developed into one of the league’s best defensive backs, earning a reputation for athleticism, physicality, and football smarts. Ravens General Manager Eric DeCosta said that this was not about buying time: “We are exercising the fifth-year option for Kyle Hamilton, to work toward a multi-year contract extension.”
Fifth-Year Option Indicates Long-Term Intent From Ravens
The fifth-year option clause is a tool directed at first-round draft picks like Hamilton, giving teams an extra year of control before being forced to sign a second contract. With Hamilton, the Ravens moved swiftly to exercise it before the May 1 deadline. It’s a move that’s all about trust and urgency — trust in Hamilton’s continued excellence, and urgency to keep a building-block defender in the fold during what seems to be a championship window for Baltimore.
$18.6 million is an enormous deal for a safety, but Hamilton is no typical safety. He’s a one-of-a-kind defender who can play anywhere on the field — in the box, in deep coverage, and even blitzing off the edge. The Ravens know that players of this quality don’t emerge often, and allowing him to reach free agency without having a definite long-term answer in place would have been risky and out of character for a franchise that boasts about building around top defense.
A Meteoric Ascent To NFL Greatness
Hamilton was selected by the league as the No. 14 overall choice in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Notre Dame. It did not take him long to give glimpses of greatness. By his second season, he was already first-team All-Pro, with 4 interceptions, 13 passes defended, and a pick-six. In 2024, he repeated the trick with a second-team All-Pro pick and another Pro Bowl visit. It proved his 2023 season was no fluke.
Statistically, Hamilton has been everywhere on the field. In 2024 alone, he totaled 107 total tackles, 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 interception. In his 48 career games, he’s totaled 7.0 sacks, 5 interceptions, and 18 tackles for loss. He’s the type of player who eliminates mismatches and blows up game plans, which is why he’s already being talked about among the league’s defensive elite.
Even more impressively, Hamilton’s leadership and poise are as prominent as his athleticism. He’s not just playing — he’s reading defenses, adapting coverage, and setting the tone for Baltimore’s’ attack, blitzing defensive scheme. At 24 years old, he’s already a key member of a unit that’s still one of the NFL’s finest.
Final Thoughts
Kyle Hamilton is not just a breakout sensation — he’s the future of the Ravens defense. Picking up his fifth-year option was a no-brainer for a team that values elite playmakers. Now the issue becomes how to ensure his next contract signs him up in Baltimore well beyond 2026. If he keeps trending in the direction he is, Hamilton could become one of the all-time greats among defenders in franchise history.
