{"id":222267,"date":"2025-03-12T14:59:51","date_gmt":"2025-03-12T18:59:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=222267"},"modified":"2025-03-12T14:59:51","modified_gmt":"2025-03-12T18:59:51","slug":"michael-pierce-announces-retirement-deandre-hopkins-joins-ravens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2025\/03\/12\/michael-pierce-announces-retirement-deandre-hopkins-joins-ravens\/","title":{"rendered":"Ravens Roundup: Veteran Retires as Chiefs Wide Receiver Joins Baltimore"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the NFL, retirements and signings can feel like plot twists in a binge-worthy drama. Just as defensive tackle Michael Pierce, a mountain of a man who once intercepted a pass like a grizzly bear swatting a butterfly, steps away, the Ravens<\/a> swoop in to grab a veteran wide receiver straight out of Kansas City<\/a>\u2019s playbook. Cue the suspenseful Mission: Impossible<\/em>\u00a0theme\u2014Baltimore\u2019s offseason just got spicy.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the Ravens\u2019 front office is cooking up moves faster than a Food Network star on a time crunch. Before fans were still digesting Pierce\u2019s emotional farewell, the team had tossed another log on the fire: DeAndre Hopkins, fresh off a Super Bowl run, is trading his Chiefs red for Ravens purple. Let\u2019s break it down like a halftime show.<\/p>\n

The end zone: defensive tackle Michael Pierce bids farewell<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Defensive tackle Michael Pierce<\/a>, the undrafted underdog turned NFL ironman, closed his career chapter Wednesday like a linebacker slamming a textbook. On the\u00a0Sports Spectrum<\/em>\u00a0podcast, the 355-pound run-stuffer announced his retirement after nine seasons, seven with Baltimore. \u201cThey gave me a chance when not many people were willing to,\u201d<\/em> Pierce said, shouting out Ravens legends Ozzie Newsome and Joe Cullen.<\/p>\n

Pierce\u2019s journey reads like a Rocky Balboa montage. Undrafted in 2016, he clawed his way onto the roster, becoming a fan favorite with 238 tackles and a rare interception (a 6-yard grab) in his final game. His career was a masterclass in grit\u2014opting out in 2020 for COVID concerns, bouncing from Minnesota<\/a> back to Baltimore, and outlasting doubts like a Prius in a monster truck rally. But here\u2019s the thing.<\/p>\n

Pierce\u2019s interception in January made him the heaviest player since 2000 to snag a pass. Imagine Shaq catching a touchdown\u2014it\u2019s that level of ‘did that just happen?’<\/em> Yet for Pierce, it was a fitting mic drop. \u201cI wanted to bring light to God. Obviously, He\u2019s the only reason I\u2019m here\u2026 I\u2019m grateful for everything that God has blessed me with. And like I said, it\u2019s been a true joy,\u201d<\/em> he said, hinting at post-NFL plans in ministry and real estate.<\/p>\n

\n

BIG news from Ravens DT Michael Pierce on our Sports Spectrum podcast @Sports_Spectrum<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/ziO5ZXi43X<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Matt Forte (@MattForte22) March 12, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

As Baltimore fans wave goodbye to a locker room pillar, one question lingers: How do you replace a human wall? The Ravens\u2019 defense now faces a gap wider than a Steph Curry three-pointer. And while Pierce exits stage left, the Ravens\u2019 offense just landed a showstopper.<\/p>\n

New target in town: DeAndre Hopkins dons purple and black<\/strong><\/h3>\n

DeAndre Hopkins<\/a>, the five-time Pro Bowl receiver, inked a one-year, $6 million deal with Baltimore\u2014a bargain for a guy with more career highlights than The Office<\/em>\u00a0has memes. After a Super Bowl cameo with Kansas City, Hopkins is chasing a ring like Tom Brady chasing retirement comebacks.<\/p>\n

At 32, \u201cNuk\u201d<\/em> isn\u2019t the deep-threat phenom of his Houston<\/a> heyday, but he\u2019s still smoother than a jazz saxophonist in the slot. Last year, he tallied 437 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games with the Chiefs, proving he can thrive as a WR3\u2014think of him as the Ravens\u2019 new security blanket. \u201cYou just needed the guy that has sure hands,\u201d<\/em> analyst Joey Peterson noted, \u201cand now you\u2019ve got him.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Hopkins\u2019 r\u00e9sum\u00e9 sparkles: seven 1,000-yard seasons, three All-Pro nods, and a catch radius wider than a Texas highway. Pairing him with Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman gives Lamar Jackson<\/a> a receiver trio sharper than a\u00a0Brooklyn Nine-Nine<\/em> punchline. Plus, his 2.4% career drop rate?<\/p>\n

That\u2019s clutch in a league where butterfingers abound. But let\u2019s keep it real: Hopkins chose Baltimore for a reason. Everything outside winning a Super Bowl is a distraction for him. With Jackson slinging passes and Derrick Henry bulldozing defenses, the Ravens are all-in\u2014like a poker player shoving chips on a royal flush.<\/p>\n

A Ravens New Chapter<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Sports, much like life, is about cycles. As defensive tackle Michael Pierce trades his cleats for gardening tools and ministry work, DeAndre Hopkins laces up for another shot at glory. The Ravens, ever the strategists, balance farewells and fresh starts like a perfectly timed flea-flicker.<\/p>\n

Pierce\u2019s legacy? A testament to perseverance. Hopkins\u2019 mission? A ring to cap a Hall of Fame career. Together, their stories remind us that in the NFL, every exit is a prelude to the next highlight reel. Baltimore\u2019s 2025 season just became must-watch TV\u2014pass the popcorn.<\/p>\n

Main Photo: Tina MacIntyre – Imagn Images<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the NFL, retirements and signings can feel like plot twists in a binge-worthy drama. Just as defensive tackle Michael Pierce, a mountain of a man who once intercepted a pass like a grizzly bear swatting a butterfly, steps away, the Ravens swoop in to grab a veteran wide receiver straight out of Kansas City\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5474,"featured_media":222332,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10,16,36],"tags":[7811,582,596,1056,632,7505,7638,9722],"class_list":["post-222267","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ravens","category-chiefs","category-nfl-news","tag-chiefs-featured","tag-deandre-hopkins","tag-derrick-henry","tag-lamar-jackson","tag-michael-pierce","tag-rashod-bateman","tag-ravens-featured","tag-zay-flowers"],"modified_by":"David Latham, Managing Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/222267","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5474"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=222267"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/222267\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":222334,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/222267\/revisions\/222334"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/222332"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=222267"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=222267"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=222267"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}