Baltimore Ravens Release DL Derek Wolfe With Injury Settlement, Harbaugh Says
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Baltimore Ravens defensive lineman Derek Wolfe has been released and received an injury settlement, head coach John Harbaugh announced Tuesday.
Harbaugh said he was informed of the settlement by executive vice president and general manager Eric DeCosta right before he addressed the media after the team's mandatory minicamp.
"So that will be it with that," he said.
While NFL contracts are not guaranteed, injured players' salaries are protected until they are cleared to return to the field. Under the terms of an injury settlement, the team releases the player and pays his salary for an agreed-upon number of weeks as he recovers.
Per Spotrac, Wolfe was set to make a fully guaranteed $2 million base salary in 2022.
Wolfe posted an Instagram story on Monday saying he underwent his second hip surgery of the year.
"Feeling pretty good, pretty drugged up," he said from a hospital bed while dressed in a medical gown. "But yeah, we're going to get a full recovery here and try to live a normal life."
He later shared a story from his wife clarifying the first surgery in January was on his right hip, and the procedure this week was on his left hip.
The lineman didn't play a snap last year with what the team labeled as back problems. While he was removed from injured reserve and designated to return to practice last October, Wolfe never fully recovered to return to the field.
After recording 51 tackles, four quarterback hits and one sack in 2020, his first year in Baltimore, Wolfe signed a three-year contract extension with the Ravens before the start of the 2021 season.
A second-round selection by the Denver Broncos in the 2012 NFL Draft, Wolfe has 350 tackles, 34 sacks, 17 passes defended, one interception, one forced fumble and three fumble recoveries in 122 games.
The 32-year-old has the option to sign with another team.