Getty Ravens OLB Steven Means on the sideline during a preseason game on August 11, 2022.
The average length of an NFL player’s career is just over three years according to statista.com but for Baltimore Ravens veteran linebacker Steven Means, who is heading into his 10th season in the league, it was nearly over after just one.
He was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL draft out of the University of Buffalo. Means appeared in 10 games as a rookie and recorded just five total tackles and after being waived just one game into his second season, Means seriously contemplated walking away from the game.
It wasn’t until the Ravens brought him in for a workout a month later and signed him to their practice squad that his love and passion for the sport was reignited.
“There was a point where I was almost done with ball,” Means said in a press conference on August 16. “Then, I got here and started having fun again and started loving the game again.”
Means was only on the Ravens’ active roster for just three games during his first stint with the team and appeared in just one where he only saw the field for four snaps on defense and recorded just one tackle. Nevertheless, he was rejuvenated and had a new outlook on both life and the game.
“It really resurrected my career,” Means said. “It was a blessing for me to come here because I was almost done. The organization, [head coach John] Harbaugh, the way that they just let you play, they let you show your personality, they let you be you.”
Upon arriving in Tampa, Means said playing in the NFL wasn’t what he had imagined and that he “wound up falling out of love with the game” and even after he signed with the Ravens, he wasn’t sure he wanted to continue his playing career.
“I still didn’t know at that point, but once I started coming out here and playing … it gave me a whole different feel,” Means said.
After being waived by the Ravens in the final round of cuts ahead of the 2015 season, he spent most of that season on the Houston Texans’ practice squad before having a solid two-year stint with the Philadelphia Eagles where he won a Superbowl.
He spent the last four years with the Atlanta Falcons and was signed by the Ravens on June 17, 2022. Means is already making the most of his second stint with the team and is poised to not only make the final 53-man roster but provide quality depth at multiple spots on defense and play on special teams.
“I’m here anywhere they need me,” Means said. “I told them, ‘I’ll put my hand in the dirt at nose, three-technique, five, set the edge or rush.’ So, it’s just trying to show them that I can really do all those things like I’ve been doing in my past.”
At 6-foot-3 and 269 pounds, the 10-year veteran is built and can be deployed like Pernell McPhee, another former Raven who came back for a second stint with the team and had some success later in his career. The two were on the team at the same time for the 2014 season and Means is still fond of him.
“I was here with ‘Phee’,” he said. “That’s my guy; he’s a real good dude.”
Hot Start with No Intentions of Cooling Down
Means had a strong performance in the Ravens’ preseason opening 23-10 win over the Tennessee Titans on August 11. He generated relentless and consistent pressure off the edge, recorded three total tackles, and notched a blindside sack of illusive rookie quarterback Malik Willis.
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Despite his impressive outing in Week 1 of the preseason and a hot start to training camp, Means knows that his spot on the final roster is far from secured and that he will need to continue his current upward trajectory to earn his keep.
“I’ve been in this position before many times,” Means said. “I’ve been fortunate to not be in this position the last couple of years, but every other single year, it’s been the same way.”
He is excited to get up every day knowing that he has something to prove and that nothing is guaranteed because it requires him to be more focused and prepared and go all out every time he’s on the field.
“You do all of your due diligence, you make sure you’re studying the plays so you can play fast, you make sure you’re taking care of your body so you can play fast,” Means said. “Once you get out there, you just have fun and let it rip.”
Outlook Moving Forward
Means compares his journey since entering the league to a roller coaster ride with a fair share of ups and downs but is thankful nonetheless to the Ravens for another opportunity and God for the will and ability.
“I’m trying to make an impression on myself and just leave this game empty with nothing left in the tank,” Means said.
He will have another chance to increase his stock and improve his chances to make the Ravens’ roster or catch the eye of another team in Week 2 when the team faces the Arizona Cardinals on August 21.
However, with a lack of healthy edge defenders, it’s unlikely that Means will be cut if he continues to step up. Veteran Justin Houston and second-year pro Odafe Oweh are the only two locks to make the team at outside linebacker that isn’t recovering from torn Achilles tendons like 2021 sack leader Tyus Bowser and rookie David Ojabo.