The practice horn sounded. The huddle broke. Players filed off the field, leaving two figures behind day after day.

In a stance with their legs bent, hands up, left tackle Ronnie Stanley and right tackle Roger Rosengarten faced off, locked in mirrored positions as they got in a few more minutes of work after most Ravens practices this season. Occasionally, they were joined by other linemen, but many days it was just the two tackles, working on what they both refer to as one of the hardest positions in football.

That time was invaluable to Rosengarten as he developed from the wide-eyed rookie who gave up a sack on his first NFL snap to the every-down starter general manager Eric DeCosta is excited about as he looks to continue rebuilding the offensive line.

But now Stanley is a free agent. Whether Rosengarten has any more post-practice lessons from his mentor will be up to people in the front office. But that doesn’t stop him from delivering his pitch.

“Man, I hope he stays because he’s been such a help for me and I know the rest of the guys,” Rosengarten said.

Ironically, it might be Rosengarten’s success that leads to Stanley’s departure. DeCosta said at the start of the season that the team decided to build the line with young players. At the conclusion of the season, he said, “It was absolutely the right thing to do.”

DeCosta added that Rosengarten can play on either side of the line while remaining noncommittal about Stanley.

However, Stanley’s season is making the decision a lot harder than it would have been a year ago.

A 2016 first-round draft pick who became an All-Pro in 2019, Stanley has always had talent. But a series of injury-riddled seasons cast doubt on his durability.

“Man, I hope he stays because he’s been such a help for me and I know the rest of the guys.”

Roger Rosengarten on Ronnie Stanley

Following two ankle surgeries and a knee injury, Stanley missed 36 games over four seasons. He had to relearn how to walk and how to balance his health with his desire to return to the field. Even he had his moments of doubt through the lengthy process, so he understood why others didn’t share his faith that he could return to form.

“I would be skeptical too, if I were in their position, like why would they believe me?” Stanley said.

After the 2023 season, when Stanley played 13 games but was hampered by injury, Stanley agreed to restructure his contract.

With a multitude of incentives for games played and honors won, the contract seemed to express Stanley’s belief that he could return to his 2019 form. But Stanley said the contract wasn’t a good representation of his goal for the season, which was much simpler.

“My goal is literally just to feel normal,” Stanley said. “… Like normal in the sense where I could just move how I imagined myself moving.”

By minicamp, Stanley felt he was on track. He said he felt like he did prior to his injuries in 2020 — but he also said that ahead of the 2023 season. When training camp opened, he added that he was already playing better than he had at any point the season before.

Stanley was right from both a health and a skill standpoint.

Not only did he stay healthy, but he played a career-best 17 games and almost 98% of the team’s offensive snaps. Over 1,089 snaps, he allowed just two sacks. He finished the season ranked 12th among offensive tackles in ESPN’s pass block win rate.

Stanley was initially named a Pro Bowl alternate but was not named to the All-Pro Team, something Rosengarten considered a snub.

“He’s played at the highest level,” Rosengarten said. “And I think he should have been a Pro Bowler, All-Pro this year.”

Stanley was eventually named to the roster as a replacement for Houston’s Laremy Tunsil, meaning he missed out on an $8 million bonus for playing over 95% of the snaps and making the original Pro Bowl roster.

For as much as he did on the field, Stanley made immeasurable contributions behind the scenes.

Through offensive line dinners that he hosted, Stanley helped the rebuilt offensive line jell. Stanley is passionate about food and said sharing meals is a bonding experience.

Curious and cerebral, Stanley approaches most things with great thought, whether it’s his rehab or his technique, his exploration of the world or of philosophy. And he does not gatekeep what he discovers, football or otherwise. Rosengarten said he constantly bounced ideas off Stanley because he was the other “bookend tackle,” and Patrick Mekari speaks fondly of their philosophical conversations that range from space to what historical events they wish they’d experienced.

Stanley was the most veteran lineman on the team by three seasons, and he shouldered the responsibility of helping the younger players. He said he made a point to be more vocal, to reach out to others more often and to put in extra work with his teammates.

“He wants to coach the younger guys,” Mekari said. “He helps Roger out; he helps all of us out after practice, just focused on the smaller, detailed stuff.”

Stanley is also the only one who has been with the Ravens through the entirety of the Lamar Jackson era. Although the communication runs through Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum, Mekari said Jackson and Stanley will run things by each other and it’s easy for them to communicate what they want.

“That’s Lamar’s left tackle,” Mekari said.

Stanley was too distraught over the playoff loss to the Bills to consider his future after the game. But, with PFF’s projected two-year, $20 million-a-year price tag, the cost might be too high for the Ravens to bring back Lamar’s left tackle.

The Ravens have numerous players, including Jackson, whose salaries are jumping, and they have faith in their ability to build through the draft, as evidenced by Rosengarten’s success.

The Ravens and Stanley can’t negotiate changes to his contract until 12 months after the last change, which was March 18. If Stanley tests free agency, that would also happen in March. Until then, DeCosta concluded the conversation with these noncommittal remarks.

“We are aware that we have some guys whose contracts are up, and we’ll look at that and certainly have some discussions with players. We’ll look at potentially bringing back our guys; we’ll look at the draft; we’ll look at free agency; we’ll overturn every rock to find as many good offensive linemen as we can, and I think we have some good young players on the team — they’ve shown that.”