Overview
- Baltimore placed Ben Cleveland on waivers on Jan. 1, giving other NFL teams 24 hours to claim the 2021 third-round pick.
- The guard had just served a three-game suspension without pay under the NFL’s substances of abuse policy and was eligible to return for Week 18.
- His suspension stemmed from a Feb. 12, 2025 DUI case in Milledgeville, Georgia, where he recorded a .178 BAC and later pleaded guilty, resulting in probation.
- Cleveland has been a rotational backup since 2021 with limited starts, and he had been a healthy scratch in recent weeks behind Andrew Vorhees, Daniel Faalele and rookie Emery Jones Jr.
- Reports estimate the suspension cost him roughly $200,000 in salary as his rookie contract approaches expiration following the 2025 season.