Madubuike’s deal was the third in 14 months that the Ravens paid record money to finalize: $75.5 million guaranteed at signing, briefly the record for defensive tackles. In May, the Ravens signed quarterback Lamar Jackson to a five-year extension that made him — again, briefly — the NFL’s highest-paid player ($52 million annually). In January 2023, Roquan Smith became the league’s highest-paid off-ball linebacker with a five-year, $100 million contract.
Consider: In 2022 and 2023, the Ravens’ five biggest cap hits accounted for about a third of their cap space, according to Spotrac.