By Matthew Davis
Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton became the highest-paid player ever at his position on Wednesday.
Hamilton signed a four-year, $100.4 million contract extension, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Baltimore gave Hamilton an unprecedented $82 million of guaranteed money with the extension, which can keep Hamilton with the Ravens through 2030.
“Phenomenal player. Phenomenal person. Great leader,” Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta told reporters on Aug. 27. “I’m very, very proud of Kyle. … We think this recognizes his impact on our team and in the community. We’re thrilled to get this done and off my plate.”
Hamilton will earn more annually, $25.1 million, than any safety in the league, including Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph at $21.25 million annually. The previous high for guaranteed money for safeties was $45 million.
“I think the deal really does speak to how we feel about Kyle,” DeCosta said. “The highest-paid safety in the NFL … that’s a responsibility that we don’t take lightly.”
“We’ve had a few players over the years become the highest paid at their position, and I think when you are the highest paid, that’s an important distinction,” DeCosta added, “and I think Kyle has proven that he’s going to carry that very well and we expect him to continue to be an impact player on our defense for years to come.”
Baltimore took Hamilton with the No. 14 pick out of Notre Dame in the 2022 draft. Hamilton had two years left on his rookie deal, and Baltimore already picked up his fifth-year option for 2026.
In three seasons, Hamilton has tallied 250 tackles overall and 18 for loss, five interceptions, seven sacks, and four forced fumbles. Baltimore utilizes him all over the defense, with 355 snaps at free safety, 292 at slot corner, 246 at linebacker, 124 at strong safety, 78 on the defensive line, and 18 at outside corner per Pro Football Focus.
“One of the things you love about Kyle is he’s kind of a unicorn,” DeCosta said. “He can do many different things. He does them all very well.”
That became apparent early in Hamilton’s career when he became a full-time starter in 2023. He made first-team All-Pro with 81 tackles, four interceptions, and 13 pass deflections. In 2024, Hamilton built on that with 107 tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles, and nine pass deflections.
Ravens secondary coach Chuck Pagano compared him to former Ravens Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed. Pagano worked with Reed between 2008 and 2011.
“They pick up the defense so fast. They’re out there, and they’re not thinking about our calls. They’re not thinking about our scheme,” Pagano told reporters on Tuesday. “He’s one step ahead. … Behind the scenes, Kyle prepares as good as anybody. He watches a ton of film, so he’s got almost every play kind of whittled down to one or two plays in every situation, so it gives him a chance to make plays.”
Baltimore also has a strong secondary around Hamilton with first-round pick Malaki Starks and cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins. Humphrey had six interceptions last year in addition to 67 tackles. Wiggins posted 33 tackles, 13 pass deflections, and a pick in 2024.
Pagano said this secondary “is as good a group as I’ve been around” in 19 years as a coach in the NFL. That means the Ravens could turn it around from last season, when the team ranked 31st in passing yards allowed and 19th in passing touchdowns surrendered.
Starks, a No. 27 pick from Georgia, could help change that, and Pagano already sees similarities to Hamilton. The former Bulldogs star had 197 tackles, six interceptions, and 17 pass deflections in three collegiate seasons.
“So, like I talked about Kyle earlier, he’s now starting to be able to take the next step,” Pagano said of Starks. “He [was at] level 100 [and] level 200, [but] now he’s getting into 300-level courses and able to play a lot faster, play situations better, play down and distances, personnel groups and all those kinds of things.”
“So, the game’s really slowing down for him. He’s just a natural back there … really, really smart guy,” Pagano said.
