After a stellar 13 year career, one of the longest-tenured and highly regarded Baltimore Ravens in franchise history has announced that he will be retiring from football. Marshal Yanda, a Raven since 2007, has decided to step away from football after one of the team’s most successful regular seasons. The 35-year-old had reportedly been mulling retirement over the past two off-seasons. Yanda is one of the greatest players to ever suit up in black and purple and should become the second offensive lineman, alongside Jonathan Ogden, to enter the Hall of Fame as a Raven.
Baltimore Ravens Guard Marshal Yanda To Retire
Yanda was drafted by the Ravens out of Iowa with the 86th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. The third-round selection played tackle in college but was quickly thrust into a number of different roles in Baltimore his rookie year. He would start games at both right and left tackle. Ogden was the starting left tackle for 10 games that season but suffered a toe injury Week 1 that would keep him out of the starting lineup for six weeks. The Ravens Week 7 matchup would be the only game in Ogden’s career in which he dressed but did not start and Yanda played in his place.
Over the next 12 seasons, Yanda would transform into one of the NFL’s best run and pass-blocking offensive lineman. Since entering the NFL, Yanda has started the eighth-most games and made the third-most Pro Bowls (eight) of any offensive lineman, including eight of the last nine seasons. He has the fourth most Pro Bowl selections in Ravens history and is one of only six players in franchise history to be named first-team All-Pro more than once. Yanda has also been named second-team All-Pro five times and collected his only Super Bowl ring in 2013.
Though Yanda was among the oldest players in football in 2019, his play did not slip. The Ravens offensive line had one of its best years in franchise history and Yanda was one of the most impressive members. He took just one penalty and allowed one sack over his 968 snaps played. Replacing perhaps the best guard in pro football over the past decade will be incredibly tough for the Ravens moving forward but Yanda’s next destination is in Canton, Ohio.
Main Photo
