After spending more than two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, running back Justin Forsett said goodbye to the franchise.
Baltimore will always have a special place in my heart. Love y'all & thank u for the amazing support over the years #HeDontMakeTheLaw He…
— Justin Forsett (@JForsett) October 4, 2016
As many NFL insiders noted, this message was the first indication that the Ravens have parted ways with the veteran running back. The organization also retweeted the message before shortly afterwards confirming the move.
The Ravens and RB Justin Forsett have mutually parted ways: https://t.co/rWmwm4qE5v pic.twitter.com/sZzVal5grd
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) October 4, 2016
This move doesn’t come as a surprise. Forsett was a healthy inactive for Baltimore this past weekend against the Oakland Raiders. Instead, the Ravens started third-year back Terrance West, who promptly answered the bell with a 113-yard, one touchdown performance.
Head coach John Harbaugh addressed the move to keep Forsett inactive on Monday, via the team’s website.
“Justin Forsett is a highly-respected, highly-valued guy in my eyes and the eyes of all of us,” Harbaugh said. “It is a competitive world that we are in. It is a competitive league; it is a competitive sport. He knows that as well as anybody. It doesn’t diminish him in any way. It just enhances him, in my mind, in terms of how he handles it.”
Forsett was a valuable contributor for Baltimore when the franchise needed help the most following the Ray Rice elevator incident in 2014. That season, Forsett rushed for 1,266 yard and eight touchdowns — the most productive season of his entire nine-year career.
Now at the age of 30, it remains to be seen if the running back will find a new home or if his playing career is officially at an end.