Ravens To Release OLB Tyus Bowser

After missing all of last season, Tyus Bowser will become a free agent. The Ravens are releasing the veteran outside linebacker, according to The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec.

A knee injury kept Bowser off the field throughout the 2023 slate, and his release will save the Ravens a notable chunk of cap space. Baltimore will pick up $5.5MM in cap room by moving on from the seven-year veteran; Bowser was due that amount in base salary next season.

The 28-year-old served primarily on special teams for much of his Ravens tenure. Bowser saw incremental increases in defensive playing time, though, ultimately taking on a full-time role in 2021. He recorded a career-high seven sacks that season, indicating the $22MM extension he had inked the prior offseason would prove to be a solid investment. Things did not go according to plan starting at the midway point of the 2022 season, though.

Bowser was limited to nine contests that year due to a knee injury, one which proved to be especially troublesome through the offseason. A flare-up led to the former second-rounder being placed on the NFI list, and he remained there for the entire campaign. Baltimore was hopeful, for a time, that Bowser could suit up in 2023 but by late November signs pointed to him remaining sidelined. Given that, it comes as no surprise the team has elected to cut bait.

The Ravens endured further injury issues along the edge with 2022 second-rounder David Ojabo – who missed most of his rookie campaign – being limited to three contests this season. While veteran pickups Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy provided high-end production, they are each pending free agents. A departure from either member of the latter pair would leave a major vacancy at the OLB spot in Baltimore. Especially if both leave, the decision to move on from Bowser will leave the team in need of multiple free agent and draft additions.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.