Eric Weddle and Marcus Williams never played together, but their paths have now crossed with two different football teams — at the college level at the University of Utah and professionally with the Baltimore Ravens.
Williams signed with the Ravens this week — a five-year deal worth a reported $70 million, with $37 million guaranteed — after spending his first five seasons with the New Orleans Saints.
Weddle once called Baltimore home, playing for the Ravens from 2016-18, and had fond words to say about his former team.
“Eric is someone I watch a lot,” Williams said during his introductory press conference on Thursday. “He texted me the other day and said this was one of the best organizations he’s played with.
“He said it’s definitely somewhere I want to be, somewhere that’s going to definitely elevate my game because I have a lot more to do.”
The 37-year-old Weddle, who was a Utes star safety in the mid-2000s, recently won his first Super Bowl ring with the Los Angeles Rams, returning to play two games after retiring and helping the Rams win the championship.
The 25-year-old Williams, meanwhile, was a Utah star safety in the mid-2010s and, like Weddle, was a second-round NFL draft pick. Williams, who was an unrestricted free agent, was one of the top available players on the market when the league kicked off free agency this week.
Now he’ll try to continue refining his game in Baltimore, a place where Weddle was a Pro Bowler every season he played for the Ravens.
“I feel like I haven’t even reached my full potential. I feel like here is going to elevate my game,” Williams said of joining the Ravens.