John Simpson Returns to Baltimore With Ravens on 2025 Push
john simpson is back in Baltimore after two seasons with the New York Jets, and the Ravens brought him home in free agency to clean up the interior. He called the return a no-brainer. The move gives Baltimore a veteran guard who already knows the standard and is expected to help steady a line that broke down inside last year.
Simpson and Baltimore Reconnect
The Ravens called the free agent to lure him back, and Simpson said their message was direct: "Their main thing was just bringing that tenacity back, being physical, and trying to be a dominant force". He answered with a simple promise: "Hey, look, I'm gonna do everything I can for y'all, man, because this is home."
Simpson first reached Baltimore near the end of the 2022 season after being released by the Las Vegas Raiders. He then won the Ravens' starting left guard job in the 2023 offseason and helped them reach the AFC Championship game in 2023.
Ravens Interior Line Reset
That first stint changed how he sees the job. Simpson said it "showed him how it's supposed to be done," and he left with lessons from Kevin Zeitler, Ronnie Stanley and Morgan Moses. Now 28 years old and entering his seventh season, he returns with a different voice and a different role in the same locker room.
"I didn't talk much [before], but now I talk a lot of trash," Simpson said, a sign of how much more edge he plans to bring to Baltimore. He also said, "Obviously, in the interior, we're the first people to make contact," which fits a Ravens front that spent last season dealing with inconsistency inside.
Ledford, Ioane, and the Center Job
The Ravens are still sorting out who will start at center in place of Tyler Linderbaum, so Simpson's return lands in the middle of a real competition, not a finished depth chart. He said Dwayne Ledford is "one of the best teachers I think I've ever had," and the new offensive line coach and run game coordinator is stressing speed off the ball.
Simpson said he is eager to get rowdy with first-round pick Vega Ioane, whom he called "a dog," and he said the rookie has what it takes to compete against some of the best in the league. Baltimore needed interior help after last year's setback, and Simpson arrives with the familiarity, size and attitude the team said it wanted back.
For the Ravens, the practical change is simple: a guard who has already won a starting job in Baltimore is back in the middle of a line that still has a center opening and a rookie guard learning on the move. For Simpson, the message is just as direct — he is returning to the place where he said he learned how the Ravens want things done, and he is expected to bring that tone back with him.
