Pernell McPhee Officially Retires as a Baltimore Raven, Closing the Book on a Super Bowl Career

The Baltimore Ravens made it official Thursday: Pernell McPhee is retiring as a Raven.

Baltimore congratulated the longtime outside linebacker on Aug. 13, recognizing McPhee as a “Ravens Legend” as he formally closed the book on an NFL playing career that began with Baltimore in 2011 and ended with the organization a decade later.

McPhee had not appeared in an NFL game since the 2021 season, but officially retiring as a Raven is a fitting conclusion for a player who spent seven of his 11 NFL seasons in Baltimore and helped the franchise win Super Bowl XLVII.

For Ravens fans, McPhee will be remembered as much for his physical style, intensity and leadership as his sack totals.

From Fifth-Round Pick to Super Bowl Champion

The Ravens selected McPhee out of Mississippi State with the 165th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He immediately outperformed his draft position.

McPhee appeared in all 16 games as a rookie and recorded six sacks, 23 tackles and a forced fumble, establishing himself as another productive defensive player found outside the early rounds by Baltimore.

His second season ended with a championship.

McPhee played an important role during Baltimore’s memorable run through the 2012 postseason. In the AFC divisional round against Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos, McPhee recorded a strip-sack as the Ravens eventually won the double-overtime classic, 38-35. He also deflected a Tom Brady pass in the AFC Championship Game against New England that resulted in a Dannell Ellerbe interception.

Baltimore defeated the San Francisco 49ers, 34-31, in Super Bowl XLVII, giving McPhee a championship in just his second NFL season.

That alone forever connects him to one of the greatest teams in Ravens history.

McPhee Became One of Baltimore’s Most Versatile Defenders

McPhee developed into a valuable chess piece along the Ravens’ defensive front.

He could line up as a defensive end, outside linebacker or move inside in passing situations. His combination of size, strength and power made him particularly difficult for offensive linemen to handle.

His best statistical season with Baltimore came in 2014, when McPhee recorded a career-high 7.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss despite primarily being used as a rotational defender.

That performance helped McPhee earn a lucrative opportunity elsewhere following the season.

McPhee signed with the Chicago Bears in 2015 and spent three seasons in Chicago. He later played one season for Washington in 2018 before Baltimore brought him home.

The Return to Baltimore

McPhee rejoined the Ravens in May 2019.

His second stint showed why the organization had valued him so highly during his first run. McPhee was no longer the young pass rusher Baltimore drafted in 2011, but he had become a respected veteran capable of setting the edge, pressuring quarterbacks and helping younger defenders understand the Ravens’ defensive culture.

McPhee started all seven games he played during the 2019 season and recorded 19 tackles and three sacks before suffering a season-ending torn triceps.

The injury did not end his Baltimore career.

The Ravens brought him back again for 2020, pointing not only to his ability on the field but also his leadership in the locker room. Baltimore’s own coverage described McPhee as a respected veteran, hard worker and role model for younger defenders.

He played 15 games in 2020, making 13 starts and recording 34 tackles and three sacks.

McPhee returned for one final season in 2021, appearing in 10 games.

It would ultimately become the final season of his playing career.

McPhee’s Career by the Numbers

McPhee finishes his NFL career with 141 regular-season games, 43 starts, 260 total tackles, 38 sacks, 58 tackles for loss, six forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, 16 passes defended and one interception.

He also appeared in 10 postseason games and registered another 2.5 sacks.

Those numbers are impressive for a fifth-round selection, but statistics do not completely capture McPhee’s value.

He was never a traditional every-down superstar. Instead, McPhee became the type of player Baltimore has historically valued: versatile, physical, productive and willing to embrace whatever role the defense needed.

He could rush from the edge. He could kick inside. He could defend the run. He could occupy blockers and create opportunities for teammates.

And during Baltimore’s Super Bowl run, he made plays when the Ravens needed them most.

His Connection to Baltimore Continued After Playing

McPhee’s association with the Ravens has continued beyond his playing days.

During Baltimore’s 2026 training camp, McPhee returned to the organization as one of the team’s Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellows, working with the Ravens coaching staff alongside former Baltimore safety Haruki Nakamura.

That makes Thursday’s announcement even more appropriate.

McPhee did not simply play for Baltimore twice. More than a decade after the Ravens drafted him, he remains connected to the franchise.

It is also consistent with what McPhee said years ago.

When discussing his future with Baltimore in 2021, McPhee made it clear that returning to the Ravens mattered to him after leaving the organization earlier in his career.

Now his playing career officially ends where it started.

MSB Take

Pernell McPhee may not have accumulated the accolades of Ray Lewis, Ed Reed or Terrell Suggs, but there should always be a place for him in the story of Ravens football.

He was one of those players who seemed built for Baltimore.

Physical. Tough. Versatile. Emotional. Unselfish.

McPhee arrived as the 165th selection in the draft and became a contributor almost immediately. Two seasons later, he was a Super Bowl champion. He left, built a solid career elsewhere and eventually found his way back to Baltimore for three more seasons.

More importantly, McPhee understood what playing Ravens defense was supposed to look like.

Baltimore has had countless stars during its history, but championship teams also need players such as McPhee — players capable of lining up in different spots, doing difficult work and producing when their opportunity arrives.

His strip-sack of Peyton Manning during the 2012 postseason alone will always be part of Ravens history.

Now, 15 years after Baltimore called his name in the fifth round of the NFL Draft, the relationship has come full circle.

Pernell McPhee entered the NFL as a Raven, became a Super Bowl champion as a Raven and will officially leave the game as a Raven.