OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Marlon Humphrey was willing to talk, as long as it was on his terms. The longtime Baltimore Ravens cornerback can be elusive during game weeks. Despite his playful persona, he hasn’t always had a warm and fuzzy relationship with the local media, and he seems just fine with that. Humphrey can retreat into his own world inside the Ravens’ facility, and non-players and coaches aren’t often welcomed in.
However, when Humphrey does talk and is engaged in the conversation, he’s a fascinating listen. He’s charismatic, colorful and smart. He speaks anecdotally, offers perspective, drops in self-deprecating humor and doesn’t shy away from touchy subjects involving the team. He says what’s on his mind with little concern of blowback.
A few days before the Ravens’ Week 10 Thursday night game against the Cincinnati Bengals, there was plenty to talk about. Baltimore’s defense was struggling, and first-year coordinator Zach Orr was shouldering much of the blame.
As Humphrey exited the Ravens’ locker room and pulled up outside the equipment room, he was surrounded by reporters, creating a bottleneck in the main hallway. It was suggested to Humphrey by a Ravens public relations staffer that he head to the indoor practice facility, where there was more room and less disruption. Humphrey declined. It was either right here or nowhere.
“It really sucks when the product we’re putting out there isn’t what we’re being coached, isn’t what we’re practicing,” Humphrey said as part of a lengthy Q&A session. “That’s kind of what hurts me.”
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The Ravens defense essentially hit rock bottom later that week in a 35-34 victory over the Bengals. Baltimore allowed Joe Burrow to throw for 428 yards and four touchdowns, including two second-half strikes to Ja’Marr Chase that covered more than 65 yards. Baltimore’s defensive turnaround would start 10 days later.
Thus, it would be hard to cite Humphrey’s public support of Orr as the factor that galvanized the defense or its play caller. However, the display of player accountability came at an important time and added to one of the themes of Baltimore’s season. When the Ravens have needed Humphrey to make a play, settle things down or just say the right things, the 28-year-old has delivered.
“Marlon is a guy we count on,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said, “and Marlon comes through.”
If you made a list of the team’s biggest plays of the season, it would include Humphrey’s late game-changing interception of Burrow in Cincinnati and his momentum-shifting forced fumble against the Bengals in Baltimore less than five weeks later. It would probably include his end zone interception of Baker Mayfield with the Ravens trailing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 7. His 37-yard, fourth-quarter pick six of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Russell Wilson in Week 16 was one of Baltimore’s biggest plays all season.
MARLON HUMPHREY PICK-6 😈
📺: #PITvsBAL on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/RRFJ8ehfrP— NFL (@NFL) December 21, 2024
There’s no way the Ravens would be 12-5, AFC North champs, the conference’s No. 3 seed and preparing for a home playoff game Saturday night against the Steelers without Humphrey being in top form all year.
“He’s always going to be a vocal leader and kind of help us in that perspective, but man, the plays he’s made have been in such big spots for us,” said Ravens veteran defensive lineman Brent Urban. “His play has really done the talking as well. He’s a guy who is influential whenever he speaks, but some of those plays he’s made, the game has completely turned around.”
In July of last year, there were legitimate questions about Humphrey’s longtime future with the Ravens after an injury-marred, inconsistent 2023. After the season, the Ravens used first- and fourth-round picks on cornerbacks Nate Wiggins and T.J. Tampa in the 2024 NFL Draft. With Humphrey nearing his 30s and with a salary-cap hit that eclipsed $20 million, this was viewed as a crucial year for the 2017 first-rounder.
He has responded with one of the best seasons of his career, earning himself a fourth Pro Bowl nod. He led all AFC players with a career-high six interceptions. He had a hand in seven of Baltimore’s 17 takeaways. He finished fifth on the team in tackles and tied for fourth in tackles for loss. His ability to move inside and play the nickel role at a high level figured prominently in the secondary’s improvement during the second half. And he’s done it in typical Humphrey fashion: with flare, physicality and mercuriality.
“He definitely has a unique personality, but the thing I love about it is he’s gonna be himself, and you’re going to get Marlon, and he is going to tell you the truth,” Orr said. “He is going to tell you how he feels, and it’s always coming from a good place. I think Marlo really stepped up his leadership this year. He’s always been a guy who’s always been himself, but he’s been a little bit more vocal, which I feel like he realized he has to because he’s, what, Year 8? He’s one of the longest-tenured Ravens here, so guys look up to him, guys listen to him.”
About 90 minutes before kickoff of Baltimore’s Week 18 victory over the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium, Humphrey is sitting against the base of the uprights, using the padding as a backrest. He’s writing in his journal, seemingly oblivious to the players warming up on the field. On an afternoon when temperatures are in the low 30s and the wind chill makes it feel much colder, Humphrey looks like he’s sitting poolside in Cabo, Mexico, without a care in the world.
There might be nothing that the free-spirited Humphrey could do at this point that would surprise his teammates.
“It’s something every day, just random stuff, so it’s become normal,” Ravens cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis said. “You may see him walking around with an orange hat, an off-brand polo and some latex gloves. That’s a regular day. You don’t even ask him why. You’re just used to seeing it because that’s his normal. You know what you’re going to get on the field, but off the field, it’s a grab bag with Marlon.
“There’s just no replica of him. There’s no other Marlon.”
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Ravens left tackle Ronnie Stanley, a teammate of Humphrey’s for the past eight years and his former podcast partner, calls the cornerback “the most authentic person you’ll ever meet.”
From his Instagram Live segments on team flights after wins to his offbeat posts on X — “(I) was today years old when I found out the Titanic was real” — to his constant chatter when he enters the team facility, the Ravens have learned to expect the unexpected with Humphrey. During a media availability last year, Humphrey acknowledged that he sought advice from owner Steve Bisciotti on his love life.
“He brings the brighter side out of a lot of people,” said Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton, one of Humphrey’s closest friends on the team. “He’s the same person every day. He’s unapologetically himself, and I think a lot of people learn from that.”
That doesn’t mean Humphrey doesn’t occasionally rankle team officials with some of his comments or social media practices, but they’re usually chalked up to “Marlon being Marlon.” Meanwhile, pretty much everybody at the Ravens’ facility has a story to tell about Humphrey’s eccentricity.
Hamilton met Humphrey and former teammate Geno Stone at a local golf course last summer. Humphrey showed up with six random clubs from different brands and no golf bag. His six clubs hung out of the golf cart for the round.
Former Ravens and current Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen invited Humphrey to his football camp in Louisiana before the 2023 season. Humphrey pulled up to the camp in a brand-new orange Corvette. When Humphrey stepped out of the car, Queen noticed he was wearing a button-down shirt that you’d sport with a suit, dress pants and dress shoes.
“That’s how he showed up for a football camp in the country,” Queen said last year. “It was storming outside, and his shoes were getting all muddy. I’m like, ‘You knew you were coming to a football camp, and you knew we were supposed to do stuff after, like go fishing. Why would you wear that?’
“He took a deep breath and was like, ‘Yeah, I didn’t think this through.’ That’s Marlon. Marlon is freaking Marlon.”
Then, there’s Humphrey’s demeanor on the field. He chats plenty there, too. But he takes his craft extremely seriously. He trains hard and doesn’t like missing practices. He’s attentive in meetings. He plays with physicality and passion, and he takes a ton of pride in posting every week and being there for his teammates. That’s what made missing seven games last season so difficult.
“You never know what you’ll get with Marlon, but the good thing with him is he puts his business first, comes to work every day and just works,” cornerback Brandon Stephens said. “That’s what we all respect about him.”
None of his teammates would go as far as to say they’ve noticed a different or more focused Humphrey this season. They believe it’s just a matter of the cornerback being healthy again. But Humphrey did acknowledge that he reached an epiphany in the offseason.
First, after dealing with a foot injury that required surgery in the 2023 preseason, he wanted to play at a weight about 10 pounds lighter than he had in recent seasons. He also decided he was not going to sweat the small stuff. He was going to avoid stressful situations as much as possible.
That meant showing up for the team plane 10 minutes earlier so he didn’t have to feel rushed. That meant packing for road trips the night before, rather than the day of.
“Just try to think about less stress,” Humphrey said recently. “Get here early even though you don’t have anything to do. You’re going to find something to do. That’s something else I’ve changed, which has helped, but just really enjoying life has been the biggest thing. It’s just so easy here (with) this organization, these coaches. I’m just grateful. All of those little things have really helped me just take stress off the body. You can just be able to play more free. I feel like it’s shown up this year.”
Marlon Humphrey has had a career year with six interceptions this season, which leads the AFC. (Tommy Gilligan / Imagn Images)
Humphrey split the week of the Ravens’ Dec. 21 game against the Steelers between a local hospital and the team’s practice facility. A few days before the game, Humphrey’s wife gave birth to a baby boy named Duke. The Ravens gave Humphrey a game ball to present to his son after the cornerback’s first career interception returned for a touchdown highlighted a dominant fourth quarter that pulled Baltimore into a first-place tie in the AFC North.
Meeting with reporters later, Humphrey was uncharacteristically emotional. He spoke about the new addition to his family and the craziness of the week. He talked about how much it meant to him to get the turnover and for the defense to play such a prominent role in a big win. And he expressed gratitude for how much he has experienced over the years with the Ravens and how meaningful it is to be able to play in big rivalry games.
Three weeks later, Humphrey is preparing for another, and he’s doing it his way.
“I don’t think there’s any corner who plays like Marlon plays,” Armour-Davis said. “He’s a cover corner with the physicality of a linebacker. There’s not many out there like him. Maybe him and Jalen Ramsey as far as physically. Marlon’s one-of-one, though. That’s what makes him who he is.”
(Top photo: Alex Slitz / Getty Images)
