Ravens OT Ronnie Stanley 'feeling more like myself' entering 2024 season

Ronnie Stanley has been through it in the last few years.

Mere days after signing an extension that made him the highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL in 2020, Stanley suffered an ankle injury that would plague him for the next two years. He played in a total of just seven games from 2020-2021, and his health struggles have forced the Ravens to repeatedly adjust on the fly.

This offseason, they advanced the adjustments by negotiating a modified contract that reduced Stanley’s base salary and contract term by one season. Though he has the opportunity to recoup some of the money through incentives, Stanley prioritizes performance over financial gain.

Stanley finally feels healthy enough to deliver for the first time in recent memory.

“I would just say I’ve been feeling more like myself than I have in previous years,” Stanley told The Athletic. “For the most part, just to be able to feel like myself physically has made me a lot happier. I guess being in that state when I was younger, it wasn’t as savory as a moment or savory as a time, just knowing that, ‘OK, your career could have been over after one play,’ and not knowing if I was ever going to feel like that again physically or athletically.

Feeling myself improve daily and gradually returning to my old self certainly brings me genuine happiness.

Stanley understands that his time in Baltimore may soon come to an end, which is why he agreed to the revised deal. Happiness is crucial to him, especially now. He wants to leave the Ravens on a positive note.

Of course, the ideal scenario would be for Stanley to have a stellar season similar to his past All-Pro campaigns. While he hasn’t guaranteed such a performance for 2024, he certainly believes he’s in a better position now than he has been since his ankle injury in 2020.

“Though I don’t have everything figured out yet, I’ve reached a stage where I’m confident in identifying areas requiring adjustments and making minor tweaks, rather than trying to understand the big picture,” expressed Stanley. “Every day, the picture seems to shrink, becoming easier to comprehend. I’ve been experiencing this consistent growth since 2020, a feeling I haven’t had before.”

Stanley confessed that dealing with the criticism and controversy surrounding his battle with injuries while attempting to maintain his place on the field has been challenging. He is aware that his reputation no longer assures him a future in the NFL, but he is not concerned about anything beyond 2024. He intends to let his gameplay speak for itself and hope for the best, as ultimately, his performance is the most important factor.

“Absolutely, I am determined to continue playing,” Stanley asserted, “For personal reasons, I see this as a crucial year. I am committed to not repeating last year’s performance. Even if there were three additional years on my contract, my feelings would remain the same. This isn’t about it being the final year of my contract, it’s more about my competitive nature and dissatisfaction with not performing at my best.”

The Ravens have high hopes for Stanley and are expecting the best from him. He’s nearly ready to deliver.