That might be just about curtains for the NFL career of 1 controversial former Baltimore Ravens draft pick.
“Chargers released Ben Cleveland,” NFL reporter Aaron Wilson wrote on his official X account on Monday.
Cleveland was a 3rd-round pick (No. 94 overall) by the Ravens in the 2021 NFL Draft and was released by the team on January 1.
The NFL came down hard on Cleveland in December 2025, handing him a 3-game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.
The Ravens announced the NFL’s decision on their official X account.
From the Ravens: “Announcement from the NFL: Ben Cleveland of the Baltimore Ravens is suspended for the club’s next three games without pay for violating the NFL’s Substances of Abuse Policy.
Cleveland, 6-foot-6 and 355 pounds, played in 64 games with 7 starts over 5 seasons.
Off-Field Issues Followed Cleveland Into 2025 Season
Cleveland was arrested on suspicion of DUI in Baldwin County (Ga.) on February 12.
From NFL.com: “The report stated the arresting officer noticed the smell of alcohol coming from the vehicle and that Cleveland’s eyes appeared to be glossy. After conducting a field sobriety test and registering a .178 blood alcohol content — more than double the legal limit — on a Breathalyzer, Cleveland was taken to a nearby jail. He was given two citations, one for DUI-alcohol and one for failure to maintain lane, and later released after being bonded out.”
According to The Baltimore Banner’s Giana Han, Cleveland’s suspension was a direct result of the DUI arrest after he negotiated a plead deal on November 14 that sentenced him to 12 months probation.
“The NFL has suspended Ravens offensive lineman Ben Cleveland three games without pay after he was arrested in the offseason for driving under the influence,” Han wrote on December 8.
The suspension cost Cleveland approximately $207,000 of the $1.173 million salary he was scheduled to make this season.
Interior OL Called Baltimore’s ‘Biggest Weakness’
The Ravens interior offensive line — including Cleveland — was 1 of the NFL’s worst in 2025 as they stumbled to an 8-9 finish, missed the playoffs for the 1st time since 2021 and seemed to put 2-time NFL MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson in peril every time he stepped on the field.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox called the interior offensive line for the Ravens their “Biggest Weakness” headed into 2026 after the Ravens used their 1st-round pick (No. 14 overall) on a plug-and-play starter in Penn State guard Vega Ioane.
“The Ravens lost a cornerstone player when center Tyler Linderbaum bolted for the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency,” Knox wrote on July 27. “With center Ethan Pocic, free-agent John Simpson, and rookie first-round pick Olaivavega Ioane now in the fold, Baltimore may have all-new starters along its offensive interior. While the potential for reliable line play is there —especially if Ioane plays up to his draft status immediately — the unit is a massive question mark heading into the preseason.”
The Ravens also dipped into the free-agent market by signing New York Jets guard John Simpson to a 3-year, $30 million contract. Simpson, 6-foot-4 and 330 pounds, started every regular-season game for the Ravens in 2023 plus every game for the Jets each of the last 2 seasons — 54 consecutive starts.
Chargers Part Ways With Controversial Former Ravens OL