Former Ravens running back Ray Rice, who entered the season as the team’s lead runner, has dominated off-field NFL headlines around the league this season, but it’s another running back whose play on the field has been the big story in Baltimore recently. Justin Forsett is having a career year as the No. 1 back in Baltimore, and he tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun that he hopes to stick around beyond the 2014 season.
“This is a great place, a great organization,” Forsett said. “It’s hard not to want to be here. Definitely, I’m sure after the season sometime they’ll get something done. I would love to sign here. I’ve been waiting my whole career to find a home somewhere to not have to move every offseason. So, that would be nice.”
Forsett, 29, played for the Colts, Seahawks, Texans, and Jaguars before signing with the Ravens this past offseason, and was typically used as a backup or change-of-pace back, occasionally contributing in the return game as well. This season, he’s already blown past his previous career-high in carries, rushing 155 times for 903 yards, for an impressive 5.8 yards per carry. He’s also added seven touchdowns, and has been at his best in recent weeks — in Baltimore’s last two games, the former seventh-round pick has nearly 300 rushing yards and four TDs.
Playing on a minimum contract this year, with a base salary of $730K and a cap hit of just $570K, Forsett will certainly be in line for a raise this winter. While it’s not clear yet if the Ravens will aggressively try to lock him up, it appears as if Forsett is at least interested in giving them first dibs, prior to hitting the open market.