Baltimore was one of the most penalized teams in the NFL last season, and with John Harbaugh looking to be more efficient, the Ravens have hired longtime NFL referee/umpire Tony Michalek to work with the team and help out with rules interpretations/penalty explanations, and prevention, Jeff Zrebiec reports.
Michalek has been with the team throughout training camp.
According to Sharp Football Analysis, the Ravens finished the 2024 season ranking fourth in penalties per game average. Baltimore’s per-game average declined in the second half of the season, and hiring Michalek could be a part of the carryover from the improvement.
The move is similar to what the Buffalo Bills did in hiring John Parry last year.
According to Football Zebras, Michalek retired from the NFL back in April after 23 seasons as an umpire. He wore number 115 his entire career, serving on crews led by Gerry Austin, Bill Carollo, Bill Vinovich, John Parry, Gene Steratore, Ron Winter, Jerome Boger, John Hussey, Brad Rogers, and Tra Blake.
During his career, he worked 12 playoff games – three wild card games, six divisional playoffs, two conference championship games, and Super Bowl XLII.
