The Ravens are the only team Jimmy Smith has ever played for, and that will reportedly continue next season.
On Friday morning, Smith signed a one-year contract extension for 2021 that will keep him in Baltimore for his 11th season.
"Very happy about that," Head Coach John Harbaugh said. "Jimmy's been a long-time Raven. He's a very good player still. ... I know he's happy here. Obviously us, the organization, the team, the coaches, we feel very good about that and really respect his play. We're excited that it's going to continue."
The 32-year-old cornerback has spent his entire career with Baltimore since being a first-round pick (27th overall) from Colorado, and he has long expressed his desire to finish his career with the Ravens.
Injuries have been the biggest obstacle for Smith, who has played every game just twice in his 10 seasons and who has missed the last two games (ribs/shoulder) with the Ravens making their playoff push. Smith returned to practice Thursday.
However, Smith performs at a high level when healthy and remains a key part of a Baltimore's defense. He's a long (6-foot-2), physical cornerback with the versatility to matchup against a wide variety of receivers and tight ends while lining up in multiple positions in the secondary. Smith has evolved his game this season to become a more versatile part of the defense now that Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters are the team's primary starters.
"Jimmy's a pro's pro," Defensive Coordinator Wink Martindale said Thursday. "He's going to do whatever he can do to get on the field. If he's not on the field, that means he's hurt. For a guy of his size, to be able to do the things he does, to play out there on the corner, on the island outside, it's amazing. There's no challenge he doesn't like. We speak the same language. It's like we're family now, I've been here 10 years with him. I'm just really glad for both parties we were able to extend him."
For his career, Smith has 335 tackles, three sacks, 71 passes defended and 14 interceptions. He made a key pass breakup in the end zone to preserve the Ravens' victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII.
With Smith re-signing, Baltimore can keep its elite cornerback unit intact with all top five corners under contract for next season – Humphrey, Peters, Smith, Tavon Young and Anthony Averett. Humphrey, who was named to his second straight Pro Bowl, signed a five-year extension in October that keeps under contract through 2026.
