Linebacker L.J. Fort is now officially back in the AFC North once again.
Fort, who was released by the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday, was signed by the Baltimore Ravens on Monday. That means that Fort will likely suit up for the Ravens Week 5 game again st the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field, a place the linebacker knows very, very well.
Fort signing with the Ravens on Monday now means that the former undrafted free agent out of Northern Iowa has spent some time with all four teams in the AFC North division during his NFL career.
Fort originally entered the NFL in 2012 as a member of the Cleveland Browns and even spent his entire rookie season on their 53-man roster. After spending parts of the next two seasons with the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks, Fort landed on the practice squad of the Cincinnati Bengals late in the 2014 regular season.
After spending some of August of 2015 with the New England Patriots. Fort was claimed off waivers by the Steelers and he spent most of that season on their practice squad before finally being promoted to the 53-man roster that December. Fort then spent most of the next three seasons on the Steelers 53-man roster.
This past offseason the Eagles signed Fort to a three-year, $5.5 million contract that included $1.9 million in guarantees of which $875,000 was a signing bonus. Them releasing him on Friday has resulted in the Steelers no longer receiving compensatory draft pick value credit for losing Fort via free agency and this could cost Pittsburgh a third-round selection in 2020 should the team not part ways with wide receiver Donte Moncrief by Week 10.
Fort signing with the Ravens does not reinstate the compensatory draft pick value for the Steelers. He would’ve had to have re-signed for the Eagles for that to happen.
In four games with the Eagles Fort failed to play any defensive snaps. He did, however, play 75 total special teams snaps in those four games and registered two total tackles.
The Ravens lost undrafted rookie inside linebacker Otaro Alaka to a hamstring injury last week so Fort will add some depth at the position and also likely play a lot on special teams starting next Sunday at Heinz Field.
