Ravens Make Free Agent Call on Keaton Mitchell

On a day in which the Baltimore Ravens' pool of free agents has been thoroughly pillaged, the franchise added to the list of meaningful contributors capable of walking in releasing young running back prospect Keaton Mitchell into the wild.

He didn't enter this summer as an unrestricted free agent like former teammates Tyler Linderbaum or Isaiah Likely, with his restricted tag providing Baltimore with a chance to re-ink him without giving others the opportunity to butt in on the bidding war. But when faced with the chance to sign up for more seasons with Derrick Henry's exciting young backup, the Ravens opted to back out of the Mitchell market in refusing to tender the speedy back.

The Ravens aren’t tendering RB Keaton Mitchell, per source. An intriguing addition to the free agent market. pic.twitter.com/BmShZgVkTA
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 9, 2026

It's a peculiar decision to come to, another indicator that the Ravens' new coaching staff may be looking to reorganize where their upcoming offensive priorities lie.

They wouldn't have even had to pony up much money to keep Mitchell, either; a second-round retention would have only set them back by $5.8 million, and an original-round tender would have just cost a mere $3.5 million for another year. He now enters free agency a little bit after the legal tampering window opens up as one of the most exciting options for any team to snatch up, and there's reason to believe that he could end up on top following the Ravens' intention reveal.

Where do the Ravens' Go Without Mitchell?

Mitchell, who entered Baltimore as an undrafted free agent in 2023, quickly won over the Ravens' fan base with youthful explosivity and multiple touchdown receptions over the course of an exciting rookie season. But following an ACL tear that prematurely ended his breakout and drastically shortened his sophomore campaign, he spent 2025 as the team's best backup back with 341 yards as Henry's direct understudy.

The Ravens were clearly disinterested in further splurging on a running back room that had little need for depth behind the future Hall of Famer, having already committed another year to Justice Hill with Rasheen Ali continuing to develop in Baltimore's background.

Baltimore Ravens Running Back Keaton Mitchell — Dec 27, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell (34) during the game against the Baltimore Ravens at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

He was a nice parallel to Henry, a speedster who could break off for a big gain with the first-step burst that the refrigerator-shaped starter can't quite match, and will have no issue attracting suitors looking for a fringe-starting back.

With the Ravens' opening up his availability, consider him another offensive contributor who's now free to leave for nothing. The squad that fans grew to know got rocked over free agency's first few hours, placing the pressure back on the front office who just made the interesting decision to locate new pieces in rapid time.

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