How George Karlaftis' 4-year, $93M deal with the Chiefs affects Ravens star pass rusher

Baltimore is set to report to the Under Armour Performance Center for training camp, and Odafe Oweh will arrive with millions on his mind.

Eric DeCosta and John Harbaugh took steps to improve the roster with 11 picks in April's NFL draft, including adding a pass rusher in Round 2 despite having Odafe Oweh and Kyle Van Noy on the roster.

Oweh logged 5.0 sacks in two of his first three seasons since being selected by the Ravens in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Baltimore didn't deliver a long-term contract extension last summer, and that fueled his production for last season as the former Penn State pass rusher finished with the second-most sacks on the Ravens behind Kyle Van Noy (13.5) and tied with Detroit's Za'Darius Smith for No. 16 in the NFL. He'll be looking for a massive deal in free agency, and there's a ground floor after Kansas City agreed to a 4-year, $93 million contract with edge rusher George Karlaftis that includes $62 million guaranteed.

Baltimore picked up Oweh's fifth-year option before last season, putting him on the books for a $13,251,000 salary cap hit this year. In 2024, Oweh tallied 39 tackles (25 solo), 10.0 sacks, and one forced fumble across 17 regular-season games.

With the move complete, we're examining how Karlaftis's deal affects Oweh.

Karlaftis by the numbers

Karlaftis has recorded 24.5 sacks, 115 combined tackles, and 56 quarterback hits during his first three seasons with the Chiefs. Only Zach Allen and Trey Hendrickson had more QB hits in 2024.

The Chiefs' 2022 first-round pick has started 44 games.

Oweh by the numbers

Since entering the NFL, Oweh has logged 5.0 sacks in two of his first three seasons since being selected by the Ravens in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Oweh is coming off the best season of his four-year NFL career, recording 39 total tackles, including 10.0 sacks, and one forced fumble over 17 regular-season games.

Ravens' financial outlook on Oweh

Baltimore has Kyle Hamilton and Tyler Linderbaum as players who will likely land ahead of Oweh on the list of contract priorities, and GM Eric DeCosta has always been willing to let select homegrown talent depart to maintain continuity and sign players who have developed into stars. Isaiah Likely registers as another impact player that the Ravens could prioritize over Oweh. Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic previously wrote that Baltimore “appears to be open” to working out an extension, but at what price? A new contract aimed at lowering quarterback Lamar Jackson‘s future cap hits is also on the agenda.

Ravens have replacement options.

A reset isn't out of the question, and Baltimore could choose to move on from both Oweh and Van Noy after this season. The Ravens' edge rush group also includes recent mid-round picks Tavius Robinson and Adisa Isaac as depth options. Mike Green – selected in the second round of this year’s draft – represents a long-term option at the position, and his college production certainly offers considerable upside.a