Eleven days after coach John Harbaugh expressed that he'd like to bring Zachary Orr on board, the Ravens hired their former inside linebacker Wednesday to work with the coaching and personnel staffs this season.
Orr will work alongside linebackers coach Don Martindale and observe special teams meetings during the season before transitioning to evaluating players for the personnel department in the offseason.
"Zach will be getting exposure to both the coaching and personnel departments with the Ravens," general manager Ozzie Newsome said. "He'll spend time learning about coaching at this level, and he'll learn the ropes with our scouts. We look forward to working with him as he makes the transition from being an active player."
An undrafted rookie in 2014, Orr led the defense with 132 tackles last season and with two fumble recoveries while ranking third with three interceptions. But on Jan. 20, he announced that he was retiring from the NFL after he was diagnosed with a congenital spine condition that would have put him at an increase risk of paralysis or worse if he continued to play.
On June 28, Orr announced his intent to return to the league. He worked out for the Ravens, whose doctors stood by their original decision not to clear him for activity. Because the organization had not placed a tender on Orr, who had been set to become a restricted free agent, he became an unrestricted free agent.
But on Aug. 18, Orr announced that he was retiring once again after meeting or speaking with 17 teams that also declined to sign him. In an article for The Players' Tribune, the 25-year-old son of former Washington Redskins tight end Terry Orr wrote, "I'm even more at peace this time around because the teams have spoken. If there was any way I could come back, I would."
The next day, Harbaugh said he would welcome Orr's return to the organization.
"I think he wants to get involved in football, and we will probably try to talk him into coming here and being a part of what we do," Harbaugh said at the time.
Orr attended Ravens practice on Aug. 23, which was the day he and the team finalized his role.
