Alejandro Villanueva announces his retirement

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The Ravens hope to have left tackle Ronnie Stanley back to health for the 2022 season and they won’t have Alejandro Villanueva around as an option if Stanley can’t answer the bell.

Villanueva announced his retirement from the NFL on Wednesday. The team placed him on their reserve/retired list.

The Ravens signed Villanueva to a two-year deal last year and his decision will open $6 million in cap space for the Ravens this offseason.

Villanueva entered the NFL in 2014 after attending West Point and did several tours in Afghanistan before joining the Steelers in 2014. He went on to start 90 games in Pittsburgh and make two Pro Bowls before making the jump to their AFC North rivals last year.

He started the season opener at right tackle last season and spent the next 16 games as Stanley’s replacement at left tackle. Patrick Mekari took over at right tackle and remains on hand heading into the 2022 season.