Trenton Simpson is looking to break out after an off-season of training with Roquan Smith
Trenton Simpson is looking to break out after an off-season of training with Roquan Smith Looking to regain his starting spot in the Ravens defense, Trenton Simpson spent four months training with Roquan Smith in Baltimore
Trenton Simpson entered the 2024 season with high expectations after being named the starter at inside linebacker after Patrick Queen's departure to Pittsburgh. Simpson started the first 11 games with mixed reviews and was eventually benched for the combination of Malik Harrison and Chris Board.
Now, after an off-season of reflection, Simpson told Ryan Mink of Ravens.com that he spent four months with All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith, training and studying film. Simpson referred to Smith as his "big brother" and vowed that 2025 would be his year.
"I know that will be the greatest thing that ever happened in my career," Simpson said of last year's finish. "It definitely made me more alert to understand that this is a business, and you have to prove it every single day. I've learned so much from it."
When asked about Simpson's benching last season, Harbaugh labeled it a "reset period" during which the former Clemson linebacker could watch and feel less pressure. Harrison departed for the Steelers and Board for the Giants in free agency, leaving Simpson as the inside linebacker.
During the NFL owners meetings, head coach John Harbaugh gave Simpson a vote of confidence and confirmed that he'd be the starter on the early downs. Simpson played just five snaps in Baltimore's 35-14 win over the Giants. In the Ravens' loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Dec. 1, the 2023 third-round pick logged 22 snaps.
In the Week 13 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, he was on the field for 30 snaps.
Simpson was productive over Baltimore's first 11 games, logging 65 tackles (34 solo), but he was a liability in the passing game. Simpson was entirely out of the Ravens' inside-linebacker rotation following the Week 14 bye, and he was limited to special teams during Baltimore's two-game postseason run. Simpson finished the 2024 regular season with 73 tackles (40 solo), including 1.5 sacks, four pass defenses, and one fumble recovery across 17 games.
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