Marshal Yanda made certain that he will finish his career with the Baltimore Ravens.
Yanda can put himself in the conversation as one of the NFL‘s all-time great guards if he adds an exclamation point over the next two seasons.
If Yanda reaches the Pro Bowl in 2019 and 2020, he will total nine trips to the all-star event. Randall McDaniel, Will Shields and Larry Allen would be the only players with more Pro Bowl selections as a guard, according to the Elias Sports Bureau (Bruce Matthews’ 14 Pro Bowls included five as a center).
But it’s uncertain whether Yanda will play next season and strengthen a potential Hall of Fame resume.
“You just take it one day at a time,” he said. “I’m healthy, I’m feeling really good about playing this fall, and I don’t look any further down the road. I’m worried about playing this fall and playing good football.”
Yanda, who will turn 35 in Week 2 of the regular season, has been among the most dominant linemen of his generation. He is the second-best guard in Pro Football Focus’ grading history (since 2006).
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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).
There was concern among Ravens officials that Yanda wasn’t returning this year.
Asked recently about the state of the offensive line, owner Steve Bisciotti said, “I’d be much more concerned if our All-Pro decided that he was going to call it a career. I kind of looked at that as our upgrade. I really thought that Marshal was pretty close to maybe deciding that it was a career.”
Yanda was entering the final year of his four-year, $32 million contract before agreeing to a one-year contract extension on April 11.cheap nfl jerseys china nike
He received an $8 million signing bonus after reducing his 2019 base salary by $5 million (from $7 million to $2 million). His base salary for 2020 is $7 million.
“Whatever happens, we just wanted to make sure I could finish it here, and that’s important to me, just being able to play my entire career here and just taking care of me,” Yanda said of the reasoning for the extension. “That was the whole deal there.”
A third-round pick in 2007, Yanda has gone from being the 10th offensive lineman drafted in 2007 to becoming one of the best in the league. Known for his powerful run blocking, Yanda has shoved three defenders to single-handedly open a hole. A top-notch pass protector, he regularly allows the fewest sacks at his position.
In 2014, then-offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak said Yanda is as good as any offensive lineman he’s been around. In 2015, coach John Harbaugh offered a prediction.
