The Baltimore Ravens had an impressive 2024 season, finishing with a 12-5 record and securing the AFC North title before falling to the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round. Their offense was outstanding, ranking third in the league with an average of 30.5 points per game, while their defense also performed well, ranking 10th in total yards allowed per game (324.2) and ninth in points allowed per game (21.2).
However, the defense will face a significant change as veteran defensive tackle Michael Pierce, 32, announced his retirement during an appearance on the “Sports Spectrum” YouTube channel.
“After nine seasons, after much prayer, talking to my family, just going through the grind, man, and just being satisfied where I am, looking forward to do other things in life, I just decided to call it a career,” said the player.
Pierce spent most of his career with the Ravens, playing two separate stints from 2016 to 2019 and 2022 to 2024. During his time in Baltimore, he recorded 218 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 16 tackles for loss, 21 quarterback hits, and even one interception. He took a break from the NFL in 2020 due to COVID-19 and played for the Minnesota Vikings in 2021, where he started eight games and totaled 20 tackles, three sacks, three tackles for loss, and four quarterback hits.
In 2024, Pierce remained a key contributor for the Ravens, playing in 11 games and earning an impressive Pro Football Focus grade of 80.6, ranking ninth among 219 qualified defensive linemen.