Caleb Harris
Tony Jefferson is making a NFL to go back. After spending a year retired, the 32-year-old safety plans to play next season, he confirmed on social media. Jefferson posted a video on his official X account with the caption: “We’re back.
Jefferson announced his retirement from the NFL in March 2023 after spending 10 seasons in the league and playing for four different franchises. He entered the league as an undrafted free agent from Oklahoma in 2013 and signed with the Cardinals. He spent four years in Arizona before beginning the first of two stints with the Ravens, initially signing a four-year, $34 million contract in March 2017.
Jefferson started all 35 games played for Baltimore from 2017 to 2019 before suffering a torn ACL that ended his season and his first game with the club. He had a brief stint with the 49ers in 2020 before returning to the Ravens. He last played in an NFL game in January 2023 (Week 18 of the 2022 season) as a member of the New York Giants.
Most recently, Jefferson worked as a scouting intern for the Ravens last year.
For his career, Jefferson recorded 492 tackles, eight forced fumbles, four interceptions and 24 pass breakups in 113 regular season games (67 starts).
As for where Jefferson might end up as he attempts a return to the NFL, let’s identify a trio of landing spots.
Baltimore crows
Seems quite logical given the familiarity, right? In addition to having two different stints as a Ravens player, Jefferson was also part of the organization during his retirement year as a member of the scouting department. Baltimore has Kyle Hamilton as its starting strong safety, but currently has two rookies in Sanoussi Kane (seventh-round pick) and Beau Bade (undrafted) behind him, so there could be room for a veteran to deepen the position group.
Jefferson has some ties to the Buccaneers coaching staff, which could add some safety depth behind starters Antoine Winfield Jr. and Jordan Whitehead. Head coach Todd Bowles was the defensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals for the first two seasons of Jefferson’s career in 2013 and 2014. Meanwhile, current Buccaneers safeties coach Nick Rapone has also been the Cardinals’ defensive backs coach throughout his tenure. by Jefferson.
The connection here comes from former Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, who is now the head coach in Seattle. While there was no crossover between Macdonald and Jefferson when the coach was D.C. with Baltimore, they overlapped during Jefferson’s first stint with the organization. Macdonald was the defensive backs coach in 2017 when Jefferson first arrived and continued to coach the defense (as the linebackers coach) for the remaining two years of his first stint, so they should be familiar with each other. The Seahawks have added several veteran safeties this offseason, including Rayshawn Jenkins and most recently K’Von Wallace, so it would be interesting to see if Macdonald would be interested in adding another in Jefferson to compete this summer.
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