BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Ravens and RB Justin Forsett have agreed to a three-year contact, general manager and executive vice president Ozzie Newsome announced Thursday afternoon.
Forsett, 29, is a seven-year veteran who posted career highs in rushing yards (1,266), rushing touchdowns (eight) and carries (235) in 2014 – his first season with the Ravens. He also tallied a career-high 44 receptions for 263 yards to complement the 1,266 ground yards, which ranked as the NFL’s fifth most.
“Sometimes you have fortunate signings in this business, and Justin was one of those,” Newsome stated. “We were fortunate because he became such a vital part of our on-field success and quickly became a steadying influence in the locker room at an uneasy time for us. He gave us more than we anticipated. From what we expected, he gave us unprecedented production.”
Earning Pro Bowl honors for his breakout campaign in Baltimore, Forsett’s 5.4 rushing average ranked No. 1 among all NFL running backs last year. His 17 runs of 20-plus yards were also a league high and set a Ravens’ single-season record, besting Jamal Lewis’ 16 from his 2003 Offensive Player of the Year season.
Forsett was the NFL’s only running back to rush for at least 1,200 yards and average 5.0 yards per carry during the 2014 campaign.
“He fits well into what we do on offense, and he handles all parts of the job effectively, including blocking and receiving,” Newsome added. “I mentioned this a few weeks ago when we met with the media: Justin is a tremendous leader by example and willing to step up as both a leader and mentor. He is truly a success story, and we’re happy he’ll continue that with us. He earned his new contract.”
The 5-8, 197-pounder has played in 103 games (21 starts) – including all 16 (14 starts) last season. Forsett has produced 2,958 rushing yards and 16 rushing scores on 582 carries (5.1 avg.) during his career.