The Ravens were among the teams to make a notable outside free agent addition at the running back spot this offseason. One of Baltimore’s incumbent options in the backfield now has a new deal in place, though. 
Justice Hill has agreed to an extension, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. This will be a two-year, $6MM deal for the veteran, he adds. Hill – who has spent his entire career in Baltimore – will be under contract through the 2026 season as a result of this news, which is now official.
Selected in the fourth round of the 2019 draft, Hill has remained a complementary option in the backfield through much of his tenure. He was one of three Ravens running backs who suffered a season-ending injury before the 2021 campaign began, but since then he has not had availability issues. Hill has remained a core special teams contributor (both as a kick returner and in other roles), but this new deal comes in the wake of his most productive campaign.
The 26-year-old set career highs across the board in 2023, racking up 593 scrimmage yards and four total touchdowns. With J.K. Dobbins suffering an Achilles tear early in the year, Hill was counted on as a key member of the backfield throughout the campaign while splitting reps with Gus Edwards and – for a stretch in the middle of the season – undrafted rookie Keaton Mitchell. Plenty has changed since the end of the 2023 slate.
Dobbins and Edwards departed in free agency, while the Ravens added Derrick Henry on a two-year deal. The longtime Titans star nearly found himself in Baltimore ahead of the 2023 trade deadline, but he joined the team amidst high expectations on early downs and goal line situations in particular. With Mitchell continuing to rehab the ACL tear which ended his encouraging rookie year, Hill has been leaned on as a key pass-catching option early in 2024. Today’s deal means that will continue for the foreseeable future.
The Oklahoma State product signed a two-year extension in March 2023; that pact carried an AAV of $2.55MM. His work on offense and special teams since then has clearly drawn strong reviews from the team and earned him a slight raise. The Ravens’ Henry investment does not include any guaranteed salary for next year, leading to uncertainty regarding his status next spring. Likewise, it remains to be seen how Mitchell will fare and how large of a workload he will handle once healthy. However Baltimore’s RB room shakes out in 2024 and beyond, Hill will be a notable presence in it.