Offseason
Rex Ryan, a longtime fixture on the Ravens' sidelines, departed for New York to become the New York Jets head coach after the Ravens fell to the Steelers in the 2008 AFC Championship game.
Other notable offseason departures include linebacker Bart Scott and safety Jim Leonhard, both of whom left Baltimore to follow Rex Ryan to New York, and longtime placekicker Matt Stover. On March 5, 2009, Stover told reporters that the Ravens were "going in a different direction". When Stover's tenure ended with the Ravens, the team severed ties with one of its two remaining players from the Ravens' first season in 1996; the other being Ray Lewis.
Read more about this topic: 2009 Baltimore Ravens Season