Ravens’ Kyle Hamilton expected to become NFL’s highest-paid safety

As a result of that move, Hamilton is on the books through 2026. The option year is valued at $18.6M, but a long-term accord will check in at a much higher rate. Indeed, as ESPN’s Jamison Hensley writes, Hamilton is expected to become the league’s highest-paid safety whenever his extension is worked out.

After operating on a part-time basis during his rookie season, the Notre Dame product took on a starting role in 2023. Hamilton emerged as a foundational member of Baltimore’s defense that year, totaling four interceptions, 13 pass deflections and 10 tackles for loss. Those figures helped earn him first-team All-Pro acclaim and led to high expectations for this past campaign.

Hamilton endured a statistical regression in some categories in 2024, although his 107 tackles set a new career high en route to a second straight Pro Bowl nod. At the age of 24, he represents a key member of the Ravens’ secondary now but also for the foreseeable future. His second contract will no doubt reflect that, although a new pact may not be in place by the start of the coming campaign. Baltimore has other extension priorities, including fellow 2022 first-rounder Tyler Linderbaum.

The Ravens declined their center’s fifth-year option, leaving him on track for free agency next spring as things stand. Linderbaum — just like Hamilton — is a strong candidate for a new deal, but the timing of his may be accelerated by the option decision. In any event, Hamilton will be joined by first-round rookie Malaki Starks as a safety starter while remaining a critical member of Baltimore’s defense in 2025.

When Antoine Winfield Jr. inked his Buccaneers extension last offseason, he became the first safety to surpass $20M in average annual earnings. That deal also marked the first time in which a safety was the league’s top earner amongst defensive backs. The cornerback market has since surged to $30M per year, and Winfield has already been surpassed at the top of the pecking order for safeties. Kerby Joseph secured $21.25M on average with his Lions extension last month.

It would come as no surprise if Hamilton were to surpass that figure whenever his next contract takes shape. In the meantime, the Ravens will look into extensions for Linderbaum and – perhaps as early as this offseason – Lamar Jackson. Those deals will offer more financial clarity on where the team stands entering the 2026 offseason. By the time it ends, Hamilton will likely account for a sizable portion of Baltimore’s finances over the course of several years.