Tony Jefferson is making a comeback to the NFL. After spending a year in retirement, the 32-year-old safety confirmed via social media that he plans to play this upcoming season. Jefferson posted a video on his official X account with the caption, “We are so back. Dialed in.”
Jefferson initially announced his retirement in March 2023 after a decade-long career in the NFL, during which he played for four different teams. He entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma in 2013, signing with the Cardinals. After four years in Arizona, he began the first of two stints with the Ravens, signing a four-year, $34 million deal in March 2017.
Source: Former #Ravens star safety Tony Jefferson is coming out of retirement and plans to play this upcoming season.
Jefferson has stayed in shape, has been training, and wants to play again. He intends to start talking to teams in the near future after spending last season… pic.twitter.com/ZKU6yQA7zC
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) May 28, 2024
Jefferson started all 35 games he played for Baltimore from 2017 to 2019 until a torn ACL ended his season and his first stint with the team. He had a brief tenure with the 49ers in 2020 before returning to the Ravens. His last NFL game was in January 2023 (Week 18 of the 2022 season) as a member of the New York Giants.
Recently, Jefferson worked as a scouting intern for the Ravens last year. Over his career, he has accumulated 492 tackles, eight forced fumbles, four interceptions, and 24 pass breakups in 113 regular-season games (67 starts).
We are so back. Dialed in ⏰ pic.twitter.com/Z0pfDR7WVi
— Tony Jefferson (@Tljefferson23) May 28, 2024
As Jefferson attempts an NFL comeback, several potential landing spots stand out:
**Baltimore Ravens:** Given his familiarity with the team, this seems logical. Jefferson had two playing stints with the Ravens and worked with them during his retirement year as a scout. With Kyle Hamilton as their starting strong safety and two rookies, Sanoussi Kane and Beau Bade, as backups, there might be room for a veteran like Jefferson.
**Tampa Bay Buccaneers:** Jefferson has ties to the Buccaneers’ coaching staff, which might seek additional safety depth behind Antoine Winfield Jr. and Jordan Whitehead. Head coach Todd Bowles was the defensive coordinator for the Cardinals during Jefferson’s early career, and Buccaneers safeties coach Nick Rapone was the Cardinals defensive backs coach throughout Jefferson’s tenure there.
**Seattle Seahawks:** The connection here is with former Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, now the head coach in Seattle. Although Macdonald and Jefferson didn’t overlap during Macdonald’s time as Baltimore’s DC, they did during Jefferson’s first stint with the Ravens. Macdonald was the defensive backs coach in 2017 when Jefferson first arrived and continued coaching the defense for the next two years. The Seahawks have added multiple veteran safeties this offseason, including Rayshawn Jenkins and K’Von Wallace, so it would be interesting to see if Macdonald would consider adding Jefferson to compete this summer.
