The Baltimore Ravens are in the middle of a whirlwind of free agency this year, filled with unexpected moves in this post-John Harbaugh era. Right after making some major changes to Lamar Jackson’s contract, the Ravens front office made the most crucial decision regarding Jackson’s backup ahead of the 2026 season. While former Cowboys QB Cooper Rush served as the primary signal caller during Jackson’s injury, his horrendous performance has forced the Ravens to look for another internal option while cutting ties with him.

“The Ravens have released QB Cooper Rush,” noted the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, confirming the departure.

Cooper Rush only arrived at M&T Bank Stadium ahead of the 2025 season, primarily as Lamar Jackson’s backup. He signed a $6.25 million contract, valid through the end of the 2027 season. It guaranteed him a salary of $4 million. However, after his departure, the Ravens cleared approximately $453,000 in salary cap space for the 2026 league year, although the team will carry dead money of $2.2 million.

But the decision was inevitable. After spending seven seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, Rush never quite found his rhythm in the Ravens’ system. As a Ravens player, Rush received the opportunity to play only four games in the 2025 campaign, starting two. He first stepped in during Week 4 against the Kansas City Chiefs after Jackson went down. Rush completed nine of his thirteen passes for fifty-two yards. The Ravens lost 37–20, and the weeks that followed only got worse.

In his first start against the Houston Texans, Rush threw three interceptions and zero touchdowns in a lopsided 44-10 loss. He continued to struggle the following week against the Los Angeles Rams, and the coaches benched him late after he managed just 72 passing yards and threw another interception. That’s when former HC John Harbaugh decided to put third-string QB Tyler Huntley in the game, even though he was still on the Ravens practice squad.

Huntley completely took over in Week 8 against the Chicago Bears and, to everyone’s surprise, he ended the four-game losing streak with a 30–16 win. When Jackson later suffered a late-season injury, Huntley again showed promise by winning against Green Bay. Huntley’s 2-0 record solidified his status as an effective backup behind Lamar Jackson. The Ravens’ coaching staff noted that his dual-threat ability fit the offense designed for Lamar Jackson much better than Rush’s traditional pocket-passing style.

Ironically, Rush’s style was pretty effective during his time with the Cowboys. During his tenure in Dallas, Rush holds a respectable 9-5 record as a starter. Much of that came while backing up Dak Prescott in Dallas. But that wasn’t enough to keep his job with the Ravens. On the contrary, Huntley’s season performance directly led the Ravens to sign him to a two-year, $5 million contract extension, while Rush was released. The team also needed some cap space to welcome new agents for the 2026 season. Making adjustments to Lamar Jackson’s contract was the first step to do that.

Lamar Jackson’s contract restructure frees up $40 million in cap space

Lamar Jackson has been the franchise’s most valuable player for the past eight seasons. Besides becoming the NFL Player of the Year twice, he is a four-time Pro Bowler, and that’s why Ravens GM Eric DeCosta confirmed that they were working on a contract extension for Jackson.

“[We] were able to free up, I think, just under $40 million this year, added a void year to 2030, I believe,” DeCosta said. “We’re certainly hopeful that we’ll get an extension done. I think it’s important to both parties. But we remain to see what’s going to take place in the future.”

Jackson signed a five-year contract extension in 2023 for $260 million, which pays him an average salary of $52 million a year. Likewise, his cap hit for the 2026 season was $74.5 million, and it would have taken a big chunk of the Ravens’ salary space. Hence, the team restructured his contract this season, freeing up approximately $40 million. The team will pay him about $34.5 million for the 2026 campaign.

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After backing out of the Maxx Crosby deal, the Ravens are bringing in four-time Pro Bowler DE Trey Hendrickson for four years in a $112 million contract. The freed-up money will primarily be used in this mega deal. Moreover, the fund can be used to bolster the squad through the NFL Draft this year. The franchise players often rework their contracts to create additional salary cap space for the team.

For example, Buffalo Bills star Josh Allen recently revamped his contract to provide his team with an additional $12 million in cap relief. Likewise, the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback restructured his contract for four consecutive years, generating a cap flexibility of approximately $43.6 million.