Pro Bowl safety Eric Weddle hopes to play in 2019, whether or not the Ravens want him back
Shortly after the Baltimore Ravens’ playoff run ended, Pro Bowl safety Eric Weddle said that he’d be back in purple and black if the team wanted him, but if not, he would retire rather than play for another team.
But just two weeks later, Weddle is now open to playing elsewhere. While the 34-year-old has not yet committed to playing next season if he and the Ravens can’t come to terms, he’s a lot more open than he was after the loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
“Obviously, I want to be back. I want to finish out,” Weddle told BaltimoreRavens.com on Wednesday. “If not, I’ve had an unbelievable experience here and loved every second. So, if it does happen that we both move on, then we do, and we’ll see if I’ll play somewhere else or hang ’em up.”
What is Weddle’s impact at age 34?
Despite his age, Weddle is still very productive. He will be playing in his third straight Pro Bowl on Sunday and has made three additional Pro Bowls since 2011. Although he didn’t register an interception for the second time in his career, he still was third on the team with 68 tackles and added 1.0 sack, 2 tackles for a loss and 3 passes defended.
Beyond the numbers, Weddle was an integral part of a Ravens defense that was first in total defense (292.9 YPG), second in scoring defense (17.9 PPG), fourth in rushing defense (82.9 YPG) and fifth in passing defense (210.0 YPG).
“I still have a desire to play, and I feel that I can still affect the game and dominate games,” Weddle said. “I’m healthy and it won’t be as much of a hard transition to the offseason as it was last year. So I’m excited for that.”
It may sound strange that Weddle is considering retiring after making three straight Pro Bowls, but he wouldn’t be the only one to do so. Dozens of players have done it before, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, most recently including Calvin Johnson, Tony Gonzalez, Shaun O’Hara, Jonathan Ogden and John Lynch.
How much money would Weddle command?
Weddle has one year left on the four-year, $26 million contract that brought him to Baltimore. He is currently slated to make $8.25 million — with the potential to add $1 million if he makes the Pro Bowl and the Ravens make the playoffs, as they did last season — but the Ravens could save $6.5 million by cutting him.
It’s certainly possible that Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta could cut him and re-sign him at a lower figure than he’s set to make. The safety market has also taken a big hit since Weddle initially came to Baltimore with Pro Bowlers like Tyrann Mathieu having to settle for an incentive-laden one-year contract last off-season and Eric Reid having to wait until after Week 3 to sign with the Carolina Panthers.
“Obviously, decisions have to be made for the future of the team and the organization,” Weddle said. “They’ve got to do what’s best for them and I respect that. Eric and I have had great conversations. We’ll see if there’s something to be worked out.”
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