Marshal Yanda

Ravens extend punter Koch, who will now make more than Justin Forsett

Published Jul. 10, 2015 12:58 a.m. ET

foxsports

Ravens punter Sam Koch just got a big raise that puts his salary ahead of starting running back Justin Forsett.

Koch inked a five-year extension worth $18.75 million, including a $4 million signing bonus, according to The Baltimore Sun. His new average annual salary of $3.25M puts him ahead of the three-year, $9-million deal that Forsett inked earlier this offseason. Forsett's signing bonus was $2.1 million, just over half as much as Koch's. You can't blame the Ravens for not offering huge dollars to the 29-year-old Forsett, but it just goes to show how much the running back position has been devalued in today's NFL.

"I’m extremely excited that I will continue to be a Raven for the next several years," Koch told the team's official website. "It has always been my idea that I’ll be a Raven for life, because this is a first-class organization. There is no better place to be, and you can’t ask for a better owner than Steve Bisciotti.”

Koch has spent his entire nine-year career in Baltimore after getting selected in the sixth round of the 2006 draft. He is coming off his best statisctical season with a 43.4 net punting average and 47.4 gross average, both franchise records.

It will be interesting to see if the Ravens now turn their attention to Koch's fellow kicking specialist, Justin Tucker, who is also up for a contract extension. Guards Marshal Yanda and Kelechi Osemele are entering the final year of the deals as well, leaving GM Ozzie Newsome with a lot of work still to do.

h/t: Baltimore Ravens

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