Photographs courtesy Baltimore Ravens
The second-year tackle is ready to rumble this season
Roger Rosengarten enjoyed football more than he could ever imagine in 2024, with so many positive things happening. First, with the University of Washington Huskies, then with the Baltimore Ravens.
All of his success started when Rosengarten, a 6-foot-5, 316-pound offensive tackle, played in the College Football National Championship game against Michigan, and about two months later, he ran the fastest time by a lineman at the NFL Combine.
It only got better once he got involved with the NFL. The Baltimore Ravens drafted Rosengarten in the second round in April 2024 and a week later, he received a $1.5 million signing bonus with an average annual contract salary of $1.6 million. In the fall, he became the Ravens’ starter at right tackle.
“I am really looking forward to year two,” Rosengarten says. “I just have to stay focused. There is no room for error in the NFL.”
How good was Rosengarten last year? He beat out Patrick Mekari, a fifth-year veteran in training camp. Mekari had 16 starts between both tackle positions, 13 at center and 17 at guard, in training camp. Rosengarten appeared in 17 games—starting 14—on his way to being named to the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie team.
College football prepared Rosengarten well for the NFL. He started 26 games over his final two seasons and earned All-American honors in 2023. He learned what it was like to play in a pro-style offense. Rosengarten and the Huskies racked up 23 points or more in eight of 13 regular-season games. At the same time, he played with two 2024 first-round picks, quarterback Michael Penix, Jr. and wide receiver Rome Odunze, and third-round pick Ja’Lynn Polk, a wide receiver.
“We had weapons all around,” says the 23-year-old Rosengarten, a native of Colorado. “It was really fun.”
Photographs courtesy Baltimore Ravens
What has been the biggest challenge in your two seasons as a Raven? What has really surprised you the most? Being strong mentally throughout a whole season and having that pro mentality mindset. Staying consistent is the thing. The biggest surprise when I first came in last year: You can’t make mistakes. There is no room for error in the NFL. If you have room for error, you are going to get beat or give up a sack. Every step and hand placement has to be done with precision and absolute focus.
Players say going from their first year to their second year is when you can make improvements. Is this due to your off-season training? Absolutely. It is completely different from year one to year two. When you get here as a rookie, you stay in a hotel (for weeks). You aren’t used to it. The little things to the big things. There is so much change in your second year, but it’s good change.
What type of training do you do? Everything from A to Z. I do a mix of everything. I want to focus on my whole body, from the ankles up. I do high reps. I am not doing the full-out power thing. Some of the things I do: regular bench press, single-arm bench, split squats, and back squats. I also do cardio, and we are on the field for an hour to two hours. I will push a sled a lot on the field.
Your time in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine last year was the fastest of any offensive lineman. How does your speed help you on the field? For me, it’s all about getting off once the play starts. I think a lot of analysts talk about the 10-yard split. I think I had a good one. I can get out in space, and we like to pull our tackles quite a bit. The quicker you can get on the defense, the quicker they will be on their heels.
The starting job wasn’t handed to you in training camp last year. You had to battle to win the job. Can you talk about that? That’s the way it’s been my whole life. My father and mother always told me that nothing is going to be given to you. You always have to earn your spot. I always tell myself I am going to compete and be the best offensive tackle on the field. That’s the mentality I have.
Have you been taking snaps at left tackle, which is a very important position, over the past two years? Do you think you can play the position at a high level if called upon? Being able to play both tackle positions is a rare commodity. I was taking left tackle repetitions last year. I will be comfortable wherever they put me. I can play guard if they want me to. We ended up signing (left tackle) Ronnie Stanley (in March). It feels good to be on the side where I started last season, and having a dynamic duo with the tackle play.
It’s hard thinking about the Ravens and not bringing up Head Coach John Harbaugh, who is going into his 18th season. How would you describe your relationship to him? We have a great relationship. Coach Harbaugh is always going to be the first one on the field. For games, he wants to be nitty, gritty on the details. That’s a great thing to have in a head coach. He is very detail-oriented, and I can’t say enough good things about him.
Before joining the Ravens, you had a great college career at Washington. What was it like playing in the College Football National Championship game against Michigan? What were the highlights? It’s definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We didn’t get the result we wanted, and I didn’t play the way I wanted. Looking back at the season, I know I can lay my head on a pillow and say I gave everything I had. That has been my mentality. We can say we were one of college football’s best teams. That is exciting.
