OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Kyle Hamilton and the Baltimore Ravens have reached agreement on a four-year, $100.4 million extension that is the largest deal for a safety in NFL history, his agents, Kyle McCarthy and Brian Murphy of Athletes First, told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Wednesday.
The deal includes $82 million guaranteed, surpassing the previous record of $45 million for a safety. The $25.1 million average annual value on the deal also pushes Hamilton past the Detroit Lions' Kerby Joseph ($21.25 million) for tops in the NFL.
The extension ties Hamilton to Baltimore through the 2030 season.
After calling the record-setting deal "a dream come true," Hamilton reflected on his draft night three years ago. Considered a top-five prospect, Hamilton surprisingly fell to the Ravens at No. 14.
"Some people said some things about where I was drafted [and] this and that and where I could be drafted. And at the time I think I was the least mad at anybody," Hamilton said. "I knew that I came to the right place. Sometimes you got to see the bigger picture."
Hamilton is the first Ravens player to become the NFL's highest-paid safety since Ed Reed signed a six-year, $40 million deal in 2006.
"I think the deal really does speak to how we feel about Kyle," Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said. "The highest-paid safety in the NFL ... that's a responsibility that we don't take lightly. We've had a few players over the years become the highest paid at their position, and I think when you are the highest paid, that's an important distinction and I think Kyle has proven that he's going to carry that very well and we expect him to continue to be an impact player on our defense for years to come."
Hamilton, 24, had been under contract through 2026 after Baltimore picked up his fifth-year option this offseason. DeCosta said talks on this deal heated up three weeks ago.
Entering his fourth season, Hamilton is one of the most versatile safeties in the game. He can be a playmaker when lining up close to the line of scrimmage and disrupt the downfield passing game when he steps back into deep coverage.
Over the past three seasons, he is the only defensive back to total at least 15 tackles for loss, five sacks and five interceptions, and he has been named to an All-Pro team and the Pro Bowl each of the past two seasons.
In 2023, Hamilton surpassed Reed's 2003 record for most tackles for loss by a Ravens defensive back when he recorded 10 of them. Last season, Hamilton led all safeties in fewest yards allowed per completion (7.76).
"One of the things you love about Kyle is he's kind of a unicorn," DeCosta said. "He can do many different things. He does them all very well."
Hamilton was succinct when asked what he wants to accomplish next.
"Super Bowl, really," Hamilton said. "I think you check a lot of boxes off hopefully throughout your football career. And not to toot my own horn, I feel like I've checked a good bit ever since high school, and Super Bowl still has to be checked. We're not trying to wait anymore. So I want to get greedy with that."
The next big deal looming for the Ravens is the one for quarterback Lamar Jackson. His salary cap number goes from $43.5 million in 2025 to $74.5 million in 2026, which is the fourth year of his contract. The Ravens need to reduce that cap figure before the start of free agency in March.
DeCosta declined to discuss where talks stand with Jackson, who doesn't have an agent and represents himself.
"I think it's good to keep these kind of things with the players and these business things as quiet as possible," DeCosta said. "Generally speaking, I really wouldn't want to get into any specifics in regards to any of our players in their contract negotiations right now because I think it hurts the process."