The Ravens and punter Sam Koch have reached a verbal agreement on a contract extension.
The deal is a five-year, $18.75 million extension that includes a $4 million signing bonus and $16.25 million in new money, according to the Baltimore Sun.
"I'm extremely excited that I will continue to be a Raven for the next several years. It has always been my idea that I'll be a Raven for life, because this is a first-class organization. There is no better place to be, and you can't ask for a better owner than Steve Bisciotti," Koch said.
"I'm thankful that my family and I will continue to be a part of a team that has so many great people – players, coaches and staff members – who work hard to be the best at everything they do."
Koch, 32, was heading into the final year of a five-year, $12.516 million deal that he signed in 2011, according to The Sun, leading several national analysts to predict he could be in line for an extension that increases his commitment from the Ravens but also helps the team's immediate salary cap situation.
With Koch and cornerback Jimmy Smith reaching extension agreements this offseason, the Ravens' top pending free agents (after this season) are guard Marshal Yanda and Kelechi Osemele and kicker Justin Tucker.
Koch has handled the punting duties for the Ravens since joining the team as a sixth-round draft pick in 2006. He had his finest statistical season in 2014, leading the NFL in net punting average with a figure of 43.3 yards per punt. That set a single-season franchise record, as did his 47.4 gross average.
Koch also serves as the holder on field-goal and extra-point attempts.
He is the Ravens' career leader in numerous punting statistics such as attempts (708), yards (31,870) and gross average (45.0). His 39.0 career net average also ranks first in team history, as does his career total of 251 punts downed inside the 20.
