ExtremeRavens

The Ravens will likely be without two key contributors for Sunday night’s season opener against the Buffalo Bills. Fullback Patrick Ricard (calf) and tight end Isaiah Likely (foot) both missed their third consecutive practice this week. However, cornerback Jaire Alexander (knee) and offensive lineman Daniel Faalele (illness) were upgraded to full participants Thursday after being limited Wednesday. Alexander is trending toward making his Ravens debut Sunday night after practicing twice this week. The 28-year-old cornerback has been nursing a knee injury all offseason. While coach John Harbaugh said that Likely was “a little ahead of schedule” Wednesday, the tight end’s initial timetable of a six-week recovery from foot surgery would hold him out of the season opener. Likely watched practice in street clothes, walking back into the building with defensive coordinator Zach Orr at the conclusion of practice. He talked with quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley in the locker room after practice. Ricard has not practiced since the middle of August, which means that he likely won’t appear against the Bills. The five-time Pro Bowl selection is dealing with a calf injury. Ricard, who’s played in 17 games each year since 2022, could potentially be replaced in the lineup by undrafted rookie Lucas Scott. Meanwhile, the Bills’ injury list is much lengthier. Kicker Tyler Bass (left hip/groin) did not practice Thursday after being limited the previous day. Defensive tackle DeWayne Carter (Achilles tendon), cornerback Tre’Davious White (groin) and wide receiver Elijah Moore (personal) also did not practice Thursday. Carter was moved to injured reserve. The Bills added veteran kicker Matt Prater to the practice squad Thursday, so it seems likely that Bass will miss Sunday’s game. Coach Sean McDermott also said that White is working to play, but the veteran defensive back who spent half of last season with the Ravens has not practiced in the past two weeks. Wide receiver Khalil Shakir practiced fully for the second straight day and wideout Keon Coleman was a limited participant again with a groin injury. Cornerback Christian Benford was also upgraded to a full participant, meaning the Baltimore native will likely start Sunday night. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Jane at sjane@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/Sam_Jane230. Related Articles Ravens kicker Tyler Loop ready for debut: Milkshakes, ‘Hoosiers’ and process READERS RESPOND: Fans expect Ravens to win 12 or more games in 2025 Staff picks for Week 1 of 2025 NFL season: Cowboys vs. Eagles, Chiefs vs. Chargers and more Mike Preston: Ravens QB Lamar Jackson must grow up as a leader | COMMENTARY Ravens’ Mark Andrews, Lamar Jackson get fresh start vs. Bills: ‘New season’ View the full article

We asked readers how many games they think the Ravens will win during the 2025 regular season. Baltimore went 12-5 in 2024 after starting the season with consecutive losses. Entering 2025, the Ravens are considered a Super Bowl favorite by both national experts and sportsbooks. Fans feel similarly. Here are the results from our online poll: 12 or 13 wins — 54% (107 votes) 14 or more — 26% (52 votes) 10 or 11 — 17% (33 votes) 8 or 9 — 2% (4 votes) 7 or fewer — 2% (3 votes) Here’s what some fans told us about the Ravens’ 2025 outlook: (Answers have been edited for clarity and grammar.) Ravens always seem to start slow and lay a couple of eggs during the year. My head says 11 wins, but my heart says 13. We shall see if this is the year the Ravens get over the playoff hump. — Dale Summers The Ravens will go 17-0 with a first-round bye. Win the divisional playoff game vs. the Bills to move to 18-0. Then win the AFC championship game vs. the Chiefs to be 19-0. And then beat the Eagles in the Super Bowl to finish 20-0. History will repeat itself from the 1972 Dolphins. That’s my story, and I’m sticking with it. — Joe Barrett I hope enough to get to the Super Bowl so Lamar Jackson can get a ring that he deserves. — Pam With the weapons the Ravens have around Jackson, it’s the Super Bowl or bust. Anything less John Harbaugh should be fired. — Patrick A 10-7 record. Wild-card appearance. Bounced. Cancún. — Chris 13-4 and an AFC North three-peat. — Douglas Dapp Super Bowl or bust. — Keith Bridgeforth They have all the weapons they need. Probably the best secondary in the NFL. If they don’t do anything in the playoffs this season, there will have to be some big changes. — Richard Bearns II The Baltimore Sun reader poll is an unscientific survey in which website users volunteer their opinions on the subject of the poll. To see results from previous sports polls, go to baltimoresun.com/sportspoll Related Articles Staff picks for Week 1 of 2025 NFL season: Cowboys vs. Eagles, Chiefs vs. Chargers and more Mike Preston: Ravens QB Lamar Jackson must grow up as a leader | COMMENTARY Ravens’ Mark Andrews, Lamar Jackson get fresh start vs. Bills: ‘New season’ Ravens CB Jaire Alexander returns to practice ahead of opener against Bills Other NFL teams backed off, but the Ravens are backing Mike Green View the full article

Baltimore Sun staff writers and FOX45’s Patrice Sanders pick every game of the NFL season. Here’s who they have winning in Week 1: Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles (Thursday, 8 p.m.) Brian Wacker: Eagles Sam Cohn: Eagles Mike Preston: Eagles Josh Tolentino: Eagles C.J. Doon: Eagles Bennett Conlin: Eagles Tim Schwartz: Eagles Patrice Sanders: Eagles Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers (Friday, 8 p.m.) Brian Wacker: Chiefs Sam Cohn: Chiefs Mike Preston: Chiefs Josh Tolentino: Chiefs C.J. Doon: Chiefs Bennett Conlin: Chargers Tim Schwartz: Chiefs Patrice Sanders: Chiefs Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Brian Wacker: Buccaneers Sam Cohn: Buccaneers Mike Preston: Buccaneers Josh Tolentino: Buccaneers C.J. Doon: Falcons Bennett Conlin: Buccaneers Tim Schwartz: Buccaneers Patrice Sanders: Buccaneers Related Articles Mike Preston: Ravens QB Lamar Jackson must grow up as a leader | COMMENTARY Ravens’ Mark Andrews, Lamar Jackson get fresh start vs. Bills: ‘New season’ Ravens CB Jaire Alexander returns to practice ahead of opener against Bills Other NFL teams backed off, but the Ravens are backing Mike Green Maryland Stadium Authority deploying drones for Ravens game traffic Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Brian Wacker: Bengals Sam Cohn: Bengals Mike Preston: Bengals Josh Tolentino: Bengals C.J. Doon: Bengals Bennett Conlin: Bengals Tim Schwartz: Bengals Patrice Sanders: Bengals Miami Dolphins at Indianapolis Colts (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Brian Wacker: Colts Sam Cohn: Dolphins Mike Preston: Dolphins Josh Tolentino: Dolphins C.J. Doon: Dolphins Bennett Conlin: Colts Tim Schwartz: Dolphins Patrice Sanders: Dolphins Carolina Panthers at Jacksonville Jaguars (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Brian Wacker: Jaguars Sam Cohn: Jaguars Mike Preston: Jaguars Josh Tolentino: Jaguars C.J. Doon: Jaguars Bennett Conlin: Jaguars Tim Schwartz: Jaguars Patrice Sanders: Jaguars Las Vegas Raiders at New England Patriots (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Brian Wacker: Patriots Sam Cohn: Patriots Mike Preston: Patriots Josh Tolentino: Patriots C.J. Doon: Raiders Bennett Conlin: Patriots Tim Schwartz: Raiders Patrice Sanders: Patriots Arizona Cardinals at New Orleans Saints (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Brian Wacker: Cardinals Sam Cohn: Cardinals Mike Preston: Cardinals Josh Tolentino: Cardinals C.J. Doon: Cardinals Bennett Conlin: Cardinals Tim Schwartz: Cardinals Patrice Sanders: Cardinals Pittsburgh Steelers at New York Jets (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Brian Wacker: Steelers Sam Cohn: Steelers Mike Preston: Steelers Josh Tolentino: Steelers C.J. Doon: Steelers Bennett Conlin: Steelers Tim Schwartz: Jets Patrice Sanders: Jets New York Giants at Washington Commanders (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Brian Wacker: Commanders Sam Cohn: Commanders Mike Preston: Commanders Josh Tolentino: Commanders C.J. Doon: Commanders Bennett Conlin: Commanders Tim Schwartz: Commanders Patrice Sanders: Commanders Tennessee Titans at Denver Broncos (Sunday, 4:05 p.m.) Brian Wacker: Broncos Sam Cohn: Broncos Mike Preston: Broncos Josh Tolentino: Broncos C.J. Doon: Titans Bennett Conlin: Broncos Tim Schwartz: Broncos Patrice Sanders: Broncos San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks (Sunday, 4:05 p.m.) Brian Wacker: 49ers Sam Cohn: 49ers Mike Preston: 49ers Josh Tolentino: 49ers C.J. Doon: 49ers Bennett Conlin: 49ers Tim Schwartz: 49ers Patrice Sanders: 49ers Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers (Sunday, 4:25 p.m.) Brian Wacker: Lions Sam Cohn: Packers Mike Preston: Packers Josh Tolentino: Lions C.J. Doon: Packers Bennett Conlin: Lions Tim Schwartz: Lions Patrice Sanders: Packers Houston Texans at Los Angeles Rams (Sunday, 4:25 p.m.) Brian Wacker: Rams Sam Cohn: Texans Mike Preston: Rams Josh Tolentino: Rams C.J. Doon: Texans Bennett Conlin: Rams Tim Schwartz: Rams Patrice Sanders: Rams Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears (Monday, 8:15 p.m.) Brian Wacker: Vikings Sam Cohn: Vikings Mike Preston: Vikings Josh Tolentino: Vikings C.J. Doon: Bears Bennett Conlin: Vikings Tim Schwartz: Vikings Patrice Sanders: Bears Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. View the full article

The only thing missing from Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson’s Pro Football Hall of Fame resume is a Super Bowl title. It’s also absent from other Hall of Fame quarterbacks like Fran Tarkenton, Jim Kelly and Dan Marino. They are all enshrined in Canton, Ohio, but it’s the Lombardi Trophy that distinguishes the greats. Jackson is considered the best dual-threat quarterback in NFL history. In seven seasons, he has already rushed for 6,173 yards. No other quarterback is even close, not even former Falcons and Eagles star Michael Vick nor 49ers legend Steve Young, a three-time Super Bowl champion and Hall of Famer. So, what’s missing from Jackson’s game compared with other great ones before him? It’s called maturity, but not in a physical sense. The 28-year-old Jackson isn’t mean or vicious, but a kid locked in a grown man’s body, and that has to change to win a title. I grew up in the eras of great Baltimore quarterbacks like Johnny Unitas and Bert Jones. Of course, some will say that they were white and Jackson is Black, but race has nothing to do with it. It comes down to being a leader because that’s the nature of the position. Both Unitas and Jones were fiery competitors and never hesitated getting in the faces of teammates. As a franchise quarterback, Jackson has yet to accept that role, so a change is necessary. Instead of slamming his helmet down after a poor play or going into isolation on the sideline, he needs to rally his teammates because deeds can speak louder than words in tough situations. It was tough a year ago when the Ravens lost to Buffalo, 27-25, in the AFC divisional round. A leader shows up shortly afterward, once the emotions die down, but Jackson was barely seen at The Castle during the offseason. Leaders show up, not disappear. He was more vocal in training camp practices this summer, but that has to carry over into the season as well. The Ravens are to blame, too. The franchise hides behind those 3 p.m. summer training camp practices, but it’s a well-known fact that those sessions were scheduled later in the day because of Jackson’s habits. Here is another example: Last season, Jackson missed practice Wednesday and Thursday ahead of a Week 9 matchup against the Broncos after being listed on the injury report with knee and back issues, but Harbaugh said that the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player was just getting a “rest” day. Jackson then missed the team’s only full practice the following Tuesday ahead of a “Thursday Night Football” game against the Bengals but still played without any obvious limitations. Imagine that, a quarterback healthy enough to play not practicing on the most important day of the work week. Lamar Jackson is one of the NFL's most dynamic and entertaining quarterbacks, but he's yet to lead the Ravens to a Super Bowl. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) That goes hand-in-hand with him not checking his text messages or emails during offseason contract talks. In details from an arbitration hearing over a November 2022 grievance filed by the NFL Players Association against the NFL over concerns about teams colluding to limit fully guaranteed contracts, Jackson cited a broken microphone on his phone as a reason for difficulties in his previous negotiations with Baltimore in 2022 and 2023 before he signed a five-year, $260 million contract with $135 million fully guaranteed. Coach John Harbaugh shared a revealing sentiment after the Ravens’ final preseason game against Washington last month. When asked whether Jackson was going to practice after exiting a previous session early with an apparent injury, Harbaugh said that he would, “unless he doesn’t want to,” which drew laughs from the reporters in Landover. “He is Lamar,” Harbaugh joked. Standards change for different players, especially quarterbacks, but this has been extreme. In the past, the Ravens had veterans who would fill leadership roles. During their 2000 championship season, defensive linemen like the late Tony Siragusa, Sam Adams, Michael McCrary and Rob Burnett and safety Rod Woodson ran the team. Twelve years later, middle linebacker Ray Lewis, safeties Ed Reed and Bernard Pollard and receiver Anquan Boldin accepted the mantle that was passed on as the Ravens won another title. There is a void on this 2025 team of charismatic or dominant personalities. A year ago, we saw Buffalo toning down quarterback Josh Allen in the postseason. The Bills rushed for 147 yards against Baltimore and Buffalo kept Allen under control as he completed 16 of 22 passes for only 127 yards but had two short touchdown runs. Meanwhile, Jackson completed 18 of 25 passes for 254 yards, but his fumble and interception lead to a 21-10 deficit at the half. Ravens running back Derrick Henry became a nonfactor after rushing for 1,921 yards during the regular season. In 2024, Jackson got so caught up in trying to outduel Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the AFC championship game that he failed to execute several run-pass option plays that would have hurt Kansas City. Instead, the Ravens hurt themselves, losing 17-10 at home. Baltimore has committed three turnovers in each of its past two playoff losses. It’s a mind game. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson fumbles the ball as he is tackled by Bills safety Damar Hamlin in the 2024 postseason. Jackson's recent playoff performances have included turnover-fueled defeats. (Frank Franklin II/AP) The Ravens have to keep Jackson focused for three or four straight games to reach or possibly win the Super Bowl. In the playoffs, attention to the finer details are a major key and Jackson has yet to focus for four full quarters in any playoff game. The term “locked in” is more than a phrase. It’s been incredible to watch Jackson’s progress during the past seven years. Remember when he would scramble without a purpose? Now, he looks to buy more time to find a receiver. He previously had to roll to his right because he couldn’t throw to his left, but that wasn’t a problem during training camp this year. Years ago, he was criticized for not having touch on the long ball and that has improved, even though there needs to be more consistency. Related Articles Staff picks for Week 1 of 2025 NFL season: Cowboys vs. Eagles, Chiefs vs. Chargers and more Ravens’ Mark Andrews, Lamar Jackson get fresh start vs. Bills: ‘New season’ Ravens CB Jaire Alexander returns to practice ahead of opener against Bills Other NFL teams backed off, but the Ravens are backing Mike Green Maryland Stadium Authority deploying drones for Ravens game traffic As a passer, Jackson can make every throw imaginable. As a runner, there are no quarterback comparisons. Only two running backs in the modern era, Chicago Bears legend Gale Sayers and former Detroit Lions star Barry Sanders, have been able to make cuts and change directions running at full speed like Jackson can. But like Marino, Tarkenton and Kelly before him, Jackson is missing the title that has eluded him, one that he promised this city when former general manager Ozzie Newsome selected him as the last player in the first round of the 2018 draft. Since then, Jackson is 3-5 in the postseason. A Super Bowl win further legitimizes his greatness, as it did for Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway when he won titles in 1998 and 1999. Now, it’s Jackson’s turn to win, but growing up has to come first. He has to carry this team both mentally and physically. Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

Mark Andrews’ brow furrowed. An intensity shot from his eyes like a laser. The Ravens tight end knew what was coming Wednesday afternoon in Owings Mills and he wasn’t having any of it. “At the end of the day this is a new season,” he said, his tone and brevity speaking louder than his words. “For me, it’s just looking at it as two really good teams going against each other.” It is, of course, much more than that. Baltimore will open its 2025 season on Sunday night where its 2024 playoff run ended, at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, against the Buffalo Bills. Put another way, it’s like an art thief who fumbled the Mona Lisa walking out of the Louvre returning to the scene of the crime eight months later. Only it was Andrews, along with quarterback and two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson, who were the central figures in this cast. In that dispiriting 27-25 divisional round defeat at the hands of the Bills, Andrews had a costly fourth quarter fumble and dropped would-be game-tying 2-point conversion with 93 seconds remaining. Jackson added to his and Baltimore’s postseason foibles with a fumble and an interception as well. So how does one get over such mental hurdles and clear the next in a showdown that pits two of the AFC’s best teams against one another with playoff implications potentially determined months from now? “I’m a pro,” Andrews, who will turn 30 Saturday and is in the last year of his contract with the Ravens, said. “This is my whole entire world. “For me, it’s about focusing, doing my job and just knowing the type of player I can be in this offense and for this organization and for this city. I’ve never lost sight of that.” Those around the three-time Pro Bowl selection aren’t worried, either. “[He’s] the same guy,” Jackson said. “Nothing has changed.” “I think he’ll handle it great,” coach John Harbaugh said. “Mark’s a pro. He’s been doing this a long time, he’s been in a lot of tough stadiums, a lot of tough environments to play football.” Ravens tight end Mark Andrews reacts after dropping the game-tying two-point conversion against the Bills in the AFC playoffs. Andrews says he's focused on this season, not the heartbreak of the past year's postseason, entering Sunday's game in Buffalo. (Adrian Kraus/AP) Added left tackle Ronnie Stanley, the longest tenured player on the team: “I know the type of competitor Mark is, and he’s not going to let one moment, one bad thing [that] happened to set him back. He’s a true warrior. He’s going to push forward through those moments, and I know he’s excited to prove himself and everyone else that he’s still that guy.” Jackson’s thought process is even less complex on the matter. Asked what the keys to avoiding a similar outcome in the highly anticipated rematch are, he said, “Don’t turn the ball over, finish drives, put our team in a great position to win. That’s all. “It’s just like another game. Just trying to win. I don’t look at no opponent like we gotta beat them. I feel like we gotta beat everybody.” Starting with not beating themselves. If someone from another planet landed on earth, knew nothing about football and perused most of the details of the box score from that snowy January night save for the final score, there’s a good chance they would come away thinking the Ravens won in a rout. Almost all of the statistical differences were that stark. Baltimore had more total yards (416-273), passing yards (240-126), rushing yards (176-147), yards per play (7.3-4.6), yards per pass (8.9-5.5), yards per rush (5.9-4.1), first downs (23-20), converted 7 of 10 third downs to Buffalo’s 5 of 11 and didn’t have a single punt. Eventually though, an ugly and familiar truth would emerge: The Ravens turned the ball over three times, the Bills none. Bills linebacker Terrel Bernard strips the ball from Ravens tight end Mark Andrews during the fourth quarter of an AFC divisional-round playoff game this past season. (Gene J. Puskar/AP) It wasn’t just that Baltimore couldn’t hold onto the ball on the chilly, slippery evening; it was what happened as a result and the moments bear repeating. Jackson getting strip-sacked in the second quarter at the Bills’ 34-yard line not only ended the chance for Baltimore to forge ahead, it helped set up Buffalo’s second touchdown to go up 14-7. Andrews’ fumble at the Bills’ 44 with just under 9 minutes to go in the fourth quarter not only killed another drive, it led to a field goal that ended up being the decisive score. And when Jackson was intercepted on a deep pass intended for Rashod Bateman that ended up instead in the awaiting arms of safety Taylor Rapp — the only turnover that didn’t lead to points for the Bills — it was because he threw off his back foot to the wrong part of the field while under duress. While the Bills blitzed 15 times on Jackson’s 31 pass attempts, generating nine pressures when bringing at least one extra defender, Baltimore’s defense barely breathed on Bills quarterback Josh Allen. After tallying the second-most sacks in the league during the regular season, it was another departure from the norm in the postseason for Baltimore. The same was true of its run defense, which was gashed for 147 yards and three scores, a point not forgotten by Baltimore linebacker Roquan Smith. When he was asked the key to slowing the Bills, he said it starts with “stopping the run, making the guys one dimensional.” “When you do that, things can go a different direction,” he said. Defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike concurred. “Their backs are really shifty, [so] making them one dimensional, making the QB very uncomfortable,” he said. “When he’s very, very uncomfortable, he starts to do things that are unorthodox of him. So, we want to put him in spots that are very tight and that are very uncomfortable so we can capitalize on those opportunities.” If there is a silver lining for the Ravens, it’s that they have looked comfortable in the regular season. Related Articles Ravens CB Jaire Alexander returns to practice ahead of opener against Bills Other NFL teams backed off, but the Ravens are backing Mike Green Maryland Stadium Authority deploying drones for Ravens game traffic What’s new on M&T Bank Stadium’s $5-and-under menu? Watch ‘Overtime’ of Ep. 2 of the Bmore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law In last season’s opener against the Chiefs in a rematch of the 2024 AFC title game, Baltimore came within an Isaiah Likely toenail of potentially tying — or potentially winning — the game at the buzzer. What will it be like facing the Bills in a similar scenario on Sunday night? “It’s going to be a great motivation,” Madubuike said. “Definitely, you want to get that bad taste out of your mouth from the last game that we played.” Stanley acknowledged there has also been a quiet intensity bubbling under the surface within the team this week. “That team sent us home out of the playoffs, so I don’t think it’s just [like] going into a normal game, per se,” he said. What’s required to bounce back? To vanquish the ghosts of playoffs past and take the first step toward what the Ravens hope to be an eventual run to the Super Bowl? “It’s the guys that you have coming back,” Andrews said. “What type of guys do you have in the locker room? Are they guys that are looking toward the end goal? Are they focused? Are they someone that gets down on themselves? “I don’t think that’s the type of group that we have is people that get down.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

The Ravens enter the season mostly healthy, as only two starters missed practice Wednesday in the lead-up to Sunday night’s season opener against the Buffalo Bills. Fullback Patrick Ricard (calf) and tight end Isaiah Likely (foot) were absent, while cornerback Jaire Alexander returned to the field after not practicing for over a month. Alexander (knee) last practiced Aug. 9 and looked healthy Wednesday, as he appeared to not be wearing a brace or wrap on his knee. The 28-year-old two-time Pro Bowl selection participated in some drills and worked off to the side in others. Coach John Harbaugh said that the Ravens will “see how it goes this week” when asked about Alexander’s availability for Sunday. Right guard Daniel Faalele was also limited Wednesday with an illness but is expected to play Sunday. Likely is not expected to play in Week 1 after having surgery to fix a small fracture in his foot last month. His initial timetable of a six-week recovery would hypothetically hold him out of the season opener. Harbaugh did not comment on Likely’s status Monday but said Wednesday that the 25-year-old is a little ahead of schedule. The Bills, meanwhile, could be missing several key contributors. While cornerback Christian Benford returned to practice Wednesday after being held out with an undisclosed issue, cornerback Tre’Davious White missed another practice. Benford, a Baltimore native, had 64 tackles, two interceptions, a forced fumble and 10 passes defended last season and was rated among the best cornerbacks in football. White, the 30-year-old former All-Pro who was acquired by the Ravens last season in a trade with the Los Angeles Rams, was expected to start opposite Benford. Bills rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston was placed on injured reserve, meaning he’ll miss Sunday’s game, and defensive tackle DeWayne Carter is out for the year after tearing his Achilles tendon last week. Kicker Tyler Bass (pelvis) and wide receiver Keon Coleman (groin) were also limited at practice Wednesday. Wide receiver Khalil Shakir (ankle) was a full participant. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Jane at sjane@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/Sam_Jane230. View the full article

Andy Linn’s phone wouldn’t stop ringing. In the months leading up to this year’s NFL draft, about 20 different teams called the longtime Lafayette High School football coach to grill him about one of his former players, Mike Green. The Los Angeles Rams, Linn said, even sent an official to his Williamsburg, Virginia, office, where the two men spoke for 90 minutes. “I was getting phone call after phone call,” Linn told The Baltimore Sun, adding that he also fielded inquiries from the Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders, among others. He also said that “about 85%” of the questions he fielded centered on the outside linebacker’s character. “The funny thing is, I never talked to the Ravens.” That officials from Baltimore did not call the high school coach of a player the organization ended up later selecting in the second round this past April was not overly unusual. What was unusual in this circumstance, of course, was that during the NFL scouting combine in February, Green said that he had previously faced two accusations of sexual assault. One of those came in the spring of his senior year in high school. The other took place during his freshman year at the University of Virginia in 2022 when he said an “anonymous” report was filed against him. Because Green had a prior allegation against him, he had signed a “zero tolerance” agreement with the school. Green said that he was suspended by Virginia in 2022 before transferring to Marshall in 2023. But even though Green was never charged, has denied the allegations and said he had “done nothing wrong,” several teams that had investigated and interviewed the explosive 6-foot-3, 250-pound pass rusher who led college football with 17 sacks last season decided to take him off their draft board. In short, many of them had found his explanations for the accusations unsatisfactory. “There were some teams that came in and said we’re not gonna be able to touch him, and I understood that,” Green’s former coach at Marshall, Charles Huff, told The Sun. “Mike and I had a conversation at the beginning of the year and I told him this is the reality of it and this is the world you’re gonna live in. You have to be prepared for the repercussions of your decisions. Whether it was right, wrong or indifferent. It happened.” What exactly happened is also unclear. Neither Linn nor Huff went into detail about the two alleged incidents, though both summed each up to Green putting himself in the wrong position at the wrong time. Elliott, who was in his first year as Virginia’s coach when Green was a freshman, also declined to be interviewed through a spokesperson, who said in an email only that there is “no ill will towards Mike from the current staff and they wish him nothing but the best as he starts his professional career.” The email noted that Elliott’s staff did not recruit Green. Charlottesville Police also declined to release a police report that was filed in August 2022 and the investigation into the incident has been suspended. The Ravens did their own investigating, too. They reached out to Huff, among others. General manager Eric DeCosta said that he spent 90 minutes in his office with Green prior to the draft. “The allegations are severe,” DeCosta said after the second round of the draft. “We take it seriously. We look at them individually, and we do as much homework as we can, and specifically to Mike, in Mike’s case, I feel like we did a good job talking to as many people as possible. We talked to Mike at length, we did our own kind of work behind the scenes, looking at all the different things, and we felt comfortable taking him.” Ravens defensive end Mike Green, shown speaking at the NFL scouting combine, is expected to play an important role for the team as a rookie. Green was drafted in the second round after sexual misconduct allegations hurt his draft stock. (Michael Conroy/AP) Coach John Harbaugh, who said he was not in Owings Mills the day Green met with DeCosta, echoed similar sentiments. The organization was also in the midst of eventually parting ways with Justin Tucker after the kicker faced sexual misconduct allegations from more than 15 massage therapists and was later suspended 10 weeks by the NFL. “The coaches and administrators and teammates at Marshall were fully supportive of everything he had done there, and same at UVA,” he said. “So you talk about due diligence, it was exhaustive — what these guys have done — and we made a decision based on what we felt was fair.” When it comes to Green’s tantalizing abilities on the field, there have been far fewer questions and plenty of answers, at least so far. “He plays with kind of a relentless mindset,” said Ravens outside linebackers coach Matt Robinson, adding that Green really “pops” on tape. “He is tenacious at the point of attack. I think you guys have seen it in the games, his ability to affect the play pretty much every time he’s in there. He is going to set a violent edge, get pressure on the quarterback.” That was evident in training camp and over the past month. In one particular practice in June, he read a bootleg from backup quarterback Cooper Rush, cut underneath the receiver’s route and intercepted the pass in the flat. Across three preseason games, he finished with six pressures, per Pro Football Focus, including three in his debut against the Indianapolis Colts, and six tackles. Green has impressed coaches, teammates and even those outside the building. “He threw every kind of pass rush move you could throw at somebody,” Brian Baldinger said on NFL Network following Green’s debut against the Colts. “He had no fear. “Sometimes it takes a rookie defensive lineman a redshirt year to figure it out. But I’m not going to be surprised if he succeeds this year with his ability right now.” Ravens pass rush coach Chuck Smith has praised Green’s effort, said that he has “a great grasp for the defense” and that he is “everything he was advertised to be.” Defensive coordinator Zach Orr has touted Green’s get-off and said he expects him to be a valuable and significant part of a Baltimore defense that last season finished second in the NFL in sacks and two years ago captured the triple crown, leading the league in sacks, takeaways and points allowed. “He is a dog,” Green’s fellow outside linebacker Odafe Oweh said. “He gets after it. … So yes, he’s good. A twitchy guy, just puts his head down and works, picks up things fast, does things within the defense, [does] what he’s told to do and still makes flashy plays, and he’s physical. So, the sky’s the limit for him.” Second-year outside linebacker Tavius Robinson, who has become a confidant if not mentor to Green, said that the rookie has been on top of the details of the defense since “Day One.” “He’s on his playbook. He’s taking great notes every day,” Robinson said. “We sit beside each other, so really proud of him and the strides he’s taken from OTAs to now. He has that dog mentality, and he’s going to be a dog for sure.” Ravens outside linebacker Mike Green looks at fullback Lucas Scott during practice prior to the Ravens' Week 1 game against the Bills. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Green should also be a good fit amid a defense that looks to cause chaos at every opportunity. Last season, Oweh and Kyle Van Noy had career highs in sacks with 10 and 12 1/2, respectively. Whether either player can replicate those numbers remains to be seen, but Green’s addition should only help. Huff, who is now at Southern Mississippi, said that when he was at Marshall, defensive coordinator Jason Semore used to show clips of Baltimore’s defense during installs. The verbiage and concepts were also similar. There is also the belief from Linn and Huff that Green has a track record of learning from hard lessons along his journey, off the field and on it. That includes from a specific practice at Marshall: Oct. 17, 2024. That was the day, Huff said, that Green took his practice habits to “another level.” Afterward, the coach texted his pupil clips of the practice and told him that “this is the guy that will get drafted.” Related Articles Maryland Stadium Authority deploying drones for Ravens game traffic What’s new on M&T Bank Stadium’s $5-and-under menu? Watch ‘Overtime’ of Ep. 2 of the Bmore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law Ravens eager for Year 3 of Todd Monken: ‘I’ll do anything to score points’ Watch Episode 2 of the BMore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law “He said, ‘Don’t worry, that guy’s never leaving,'” Huff said, adding that Green wrote the date on his mirror as a daily reminder. “It’s what made the difference.” Months later, after the Ravens had drafted Green, Linn called his former player to congratulate him. He also wanted to pass along a message. “I told him this is just the beginning,” Linn said. “Now the real work starts. “He’s a very grateful person. He’s very grateful for the opportunity and I don’t think it’s one he’s going to waste.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

Maryland Stadium Authority board member Joseph Bryce raised concerns Tuesday about heavy traffic getting into M&T Bank Stadium on Ravens’ game days. Bryce said it took him and other fans more than an hour to reach Lot B before the Ravens’ Aug. 7 preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts. In response, Vernon J. Conaway Jr., the MSA’s vice president for public safety and security, said the agency is turning to technology to help ease congestion. A licensed drone operator will be hired this season to survey post-game traffic patterns and make real-time adjustments in coordination with city transportation officials and police. “We’ve been working with DOT and the police to figure out improvements to the overall traffic plan around the stadium,” Conaway said at the agency’s monthly meeting. “One of the things we will be doing this season is operating a drone to survey and monitor traffic around the stadium, mainly to fill in some of the gaps where we don’t have camera coverage from CitiWatch cameras to get a better perspective of the intersections.” On the security front, Conaway assured MSA Chairman Craig A. Thompson that his team is better prepared to handle unauthorized drones flying over the stadium during games. Last year, the Ravens dealt with several incidents involving drones in restricted airspace. MSA data shows that eight temporary flight restriction violations and unauthorized drone flights occurred during the Ravens’ five regular-season home games in 2024. No incidents were reported during the final two months of the season. Federal law prohibits unmanned aircraft from flying within a three-mile radius of stadiums with a seating capacity of 30,000 or more during NFL, MLB, NCAA Division I football, and major motor speedway events, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. “I feel good after the last couple of years, the kind of trial by fire,” Conaway said. “Each one of those incidents gave us an opportunity to reevaluate our response plans. We have dedicated law enforcement officers who are trained in the drone laws, who will respond to the location of any drone operator. Software will track and monitor the airspace for drones that fly in violation of the FAA’s TFR. So I feel very good about our response plan.” In addition, the MSA is keeping tighter restrictions on unlicensed merchandisers around the stadium. Under Maryland law, selling illegal merchandise is a misdemeanor that carries a penalty of up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $500 upon conviction. “Like last year, for this season we are bringing in the Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office, who will work on vending enforcement around the stadium to target unlicensed vendors selling merchandise in prohibited areas,” Conaway said. Have a news tip? Contact Todd Karpovich at tkarpovich@baltsun.com or on X as @ToddKarpovich. View the full article

Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium is making some additions to its budget-friendly menu. Since 2018, the Ravens stadium, located at 1101 Russell St., has offered a “Flock Friendly Fare value menu” during football season, with items for $5 and under. This year, the venue will sell 11 food options across all levels of the stadium . “We regularly evaluate fan feedback to enhance the M&T Bank Stadium gameday experience and ensure it reflects what our fans value most,” said Chris Inouye, Ravens vice president of retail and food and beverage operations, in a Tuesday news release. “The newly-expanded Flock Friendly Fare menu was designed with affordability in mind, featuring high-quality fan favorites alongside several exciting new additions. We’re pleased to offer these options stadium-wide, giving fans convenient access to concessions without missing game action.” New bites on the menu include house-made kettle chips with a proprietary “Blackbird” spice blend for $2.49, as well as a barbecue chicken sandwich for $4.99. Additionally, 12-ounce beers will have $2 shaved off their price tags this season, now being listed for $4.99. Also getting an upgrade this year are the stadium’s $3.49 hot dogs, which are now “a new premium all-beef natural casing frank from Bovine & Swine,” according to the release. “We strive to make every detail unique and authentic to Ravens fans,” said Adam Lizak, executive chef of M&T Bank Stadium hospitality company Hospitality Evermore. “The Ravens Flock is going to feast, and we can’t wait for kickoff.” Have a news tip? Contact Jane Godiner at jgodiner@baltsun.com or on Instagram as @JaneCraves. View the full article

Watch the “Overtime” segment of the second episode of the BMore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law. The longtime sports columnist answers reader questions from Baltimore Sun subscribers. Missed the second episode of the pod? Watch here. Have a question for Preston about the Ravens? Message us at sports@baltsun.com. You can watch the BMore Football Podcast weekly, posting every Tuesday during the NFL season on YouTube and The Baltimore Sun, and listen on Spotify, Apple, Amazon and iHeart. Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

At a microscopic level, the lines look like routes in the Ravens’ offense. Zoom out, and the creases and furrows around coordinator Todd Monken’s eyes shape a lifetime spent in the game. It’s all the 59-year old has ever known. “When I look at a football field, I think about it’s been my life,” he told The Baltimore Sun. “I’ve been part of a team since I’ve been 5 years old.” That’s not all Monken sees as he gazes toward a 120-yard long, 53 1/3-yard wide patch of grass. “I see opportunity,” he continues. “I see grass. I see space. But more importantly I dream of great players, because that makes [crap] a lot more fun.” To play in Monken’s scheme is as much that as it has been staggeringly historic. In 2024, Baltimore became the first team in NFL history to top 4,000 yards passing and 3,000 rushing in the same season. It led the league in yards per game (424.9) and was tops in offensive defense-adjusted value over average (35.1%), per FTN Fantasy. Quarterback Lamar Jackson had career highs in passing yards (4,172) and touchdown passes (41), while running back Derrick Henry boasted a career best in yards per carry (5.9) en route to the second-most rushing yards (1,921) in the NFL. The year before, in Monken’s first year as the architect of the Ravens’ offense, Jackson won his second NFL Most Valuable Player Award and Baltimore reached the AFC championship game. All of which begs the question, what will the third act provide? As Jackson is fond of saying, the “sky’s the limit” when it comes to the offense. Monken also believes his quarterback is just “scratching the surface.” “It started [to jell] last year after the first year in the offseason with [Harbaugh] saying here’s what we did, here’s what I think is us,” Monken told The Sun. “Where do we take this to 2.0 and where do we take for this Lamar?” Jackson’s view? Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken takes questions after an August practice. Monken enters his third year leading the Ravens' historic offense. (Kim Hairston/Staff) “I’m pretty much knowing what coach thinks,” he said of Monken. “He wants me to do certain things the way he has designed them. We just have to follow suit, and it is pretty good. Just piggyback off of each other.” That, along with more nuanced changes, could lead to even greater heights for the offense. Zay Flowers, fresh off being the organization’s first wide receiver selected to a Pro Bowl after 1,059 yards and four receiving touchdowns on 74 catches, got faster this offseason running hills in a weighted vest all summer. Henry is entering his second season in the scheme and that much “more comfortable” with the offense. The Ravens also added three-time All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who, even at age 33 remains a crafty route runner with elite hands, particularly in contested catch situations. And the offensive line is ostensibly intact from a year ago with left tackle Ronnie Stanley and center Tyler Linderbaum coming off Pro Bowl seasons. With everything built around Jackson, Monken says, the quarterback has been more vocal and intentional as well. It hasn’t gone unnoticed by others, too. “It’s the attention to detail and getting things exactly the way he wants it,” quarterbacks coach Tee Martin said. “Whether it’s a route, whether it’s a protection, he checks to something [and thinks], ‘Could I have checked to something different?’ The conversation has more depth, and it’s good to see that. It makes for great conversations in our meetings, and it makes for growth in our system, because sometimes he suggests things that, as coaches, we see it one way, but he’s the quarterback out there playing, and so we listen to him. “Todd has done a great job of taking his suggestions and implementing them into our system, whether it’s a play or just a way to tweak a play.” Monken also a lot of hands to feed, though. Add in receiver Rashod Bateman, who is coming off career highs in touchdowns (nine) and receiving yards (756), tight ends Mark Andrews and the ascending Isaiah Likely and he is suddenly faced with a math problem. There is only one football to go around. “That’s hard,” Monken said of balancing the distribution. “But it’s a great problem to have. “I think our players have done a great job of understanding this — that they’re going to get theirs over the course of a season. But there’s no guarantee that’s going to happen every week … especially at the skill spots.” Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman runs during camp. Bateman is one of several wide receivers expected to contribute in 2025. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) From where he sits — literally, up in the booth during games, and figuratively as one of the sport’s more creative minds — it doesn’t matter who touches the ball. “I like to think I’m relatively flexible,” he says. “I’m not so stuck where we don’t do that. No, no. No, no, no. I’ll do anything to score points. I’ll do anything to get in the damn end zone. “Now, we better be damn efficient at it and we better be damn good at it, but to say that’s not us? No that is us, whatever it takes to score.” Leaning on long experience helps. Monken comes from a family of coaches. His late father, Bob, who died last August after a long bout with Parkinson’s, coached for 30 years at Lake Park High in Illinois, where as a young boy Todd would saddle up to watch his father’s practices. His cousin, Jeff, is the coach at Army. His brothers and uncles are also coaches. “We talk a lot of football,” Jeff Monken told The Sun. “Probably our whole life our conversations have been about football.” That included when the two were drawing up plays in sandlot games during their formative days in Illinois, where they grew up about 30 minutes apart. “He’s got a great mind in terms of developing scheme and calling the right plays at the right time recognizing what can and will be successful,” Jeff continued, adding that he has even borrowed from his older cousin when designing his plays. Jeff also knows another side of Todd, one that has come in handy in Baltimore on more than a few occasions. “He’s very funny and very witty,” Jeff says. “He’s always got a one-liner or a comeback.” It’s that ability as a play caller coupled with an engaging personality in front of the camera and behind closed doors that has made him a coaching candidate each of the past two years. Monken has interviewed with the Bears, Jaguars and Raiders in that span. His only head coaching job, however, remains Southern Mississippi from 2013 to 2015. Related Articles Watch Episode 2 of the BMore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law READER POLL: How many games will the Ravens win this season? Inside Ravens coach John Harbaugh’s latest evolution: ‘We need to be intentional’ Mike Preston: Ravens leaders should be prepared for some drama | COMMENTARY Ravens QB Lamar Jackson didn’t speak up. He’s ‘not having that this year.’ With coaches skewing younger seemingly every year, Monken’s odds of landing a head coaching job perhaps grow longer by the season, but he’s not worried about that now. A rematch against the Bills, who knocked the Ravens out of the playoffs in January, awaits Sunday night at Highmark Stadium. That’s where opportunity begins again, for Baltimore and for Monken. “We’ve got these core principles of what wins,” he said. “Not turning it over, being explosive, being physical up front, scoring touchdowns in the red zone, conversions on third and fourth downs. If you follow these things you’re going to win and you’re going to be really good on offense. You put your brain power into these areas that win. “Well, at least you try to, but sometimes you [mess] it up.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, right, speaks with wide receiver Anthony Miller, left, during training camp. Monken helped the Ravens lead the NFL in yards per game in 2024. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) View the full article

Episode 2 of the BMore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law is here. You can watch it weekly, posting every Tuesday during the NFL season on YouTube and The Baltimore Sun, and listen on Spotify, Apple, Amazon and iHeart. Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

The Ravens kick off their 2025 season this weekend against the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park, New York, with a national audience tuning in to the playoff rematch on “Sunday Night Football.” Baltimore enters the year with high expectations — Super Bowl favorites, according to several sportsbooks — as it features one of its best rosters in franchise history, headlined by two-time NFL Most Valuable Player and quarterback Lamar Jackson. How many games will the Ravens win this season? We want to hear from you. After you vote, leave a comment and we might use your take in The Baltimore Sun. The Baltimore Sun reader poll is an unscientific survey in which website users volunteer their opinions on the subject of the poll. To read the results of previous reader polls, click here. View the full article

Inside the Ravens’ facility in Owings Mills and amid a $20 million renovation this past offseason, a pair of 110-inch television screens grace two matte charcoal walls in between a pair of slick glass doors that lead to an airy and light-filled training room adjacent to the team’s locker room. At any given time, the day’s practice is replayed on them with cutaways to the afternoon’s leaders in hyper-specific categories. EXPLOSION PLAYS, BLOCK DESTRUCTION, BALL SECURITY, to name a few of the half-dozen or so “impactful” metrics being charted, the results blasted throughout the sanctum for players to unavoidably see where they stand on the leaderboard that tracks daily progress, from every practice and each game. “We haven’t accomplished what we want to accomplish,” coach John Harbaugh said in an interview with The Baltimore Sun ahead of the 2025 season. “We need to find a way to do it better. “The word we came up with was intentionality. We need to be intentional,” he adds, leaning in, eyes widening, voice deepening, “about everything … at the highest possible level. Turnovers in the playoffs have been something, so let’s start with that.” First, start with the man in charge of the operation. Staying power Born in 1962 to Jack and Jackie and with football in his blood, Harbaugh is actually an anomaly in today’s NFL, where the average age of this year’s head coaches is just 47.7, the lowest mark in a quarter century. Entering his 18th season at the helm in Baltimore — which makes him the second-longest tenured coach behind only Pittsburgh Steelers rival Mike Tomlin in a league whose acronym often stands for “Not For Long” — Harbaugh will turn 63 on Sept. 22. Yet, he persists. It’s not by accident nor necessarily undeserved. Since owner Steve Bisciotti tapped Harbaugh (his second choice at the time) to replace Brian Billick in 2008, the Ravens are 172-104 in the regular season, have reached the postseason 12 times (including in six of the past seven years) and finished with a losing record only twice. In that span, only the Kansas City Chiefs’ Andy Reid and former New England Patriots czar Bill Belichick have won more games. Baltimore has also made it to the divisional round 10 times, appeared in four AFC championship games and reached the Super Bowl once, capturing the organization’s second Vince Lombardi Trophy in February 2013 with a victory over the San Francisco 49ers and Harbaugh’s younger brother Jim. There’s also a noticeable blotch on the otherwise impressive resume: The Ravens are 13-11 in the playoffs under Harbaugh, which includes two painful if not familiar playoff defeats each of the past two seasons and just a 4-7 mark in the postseason since their last Super Bowl appearance. Related Articles Mike Preston: Ravens leaders should be prepared for some drama | COMMENTARY Ravens QB Lamar Jackson didn’t speak up. He’s ‘not having that this year.’ The Ravens’ defense wants to be feared. History is the standard. With Kyle Hamilton contract done, where are Ravens with QB Lamar Jackson? Mike Preston: The Steelers pose a threat to the Ravens | COMMENTARY So while Harbaugh, Bisciotti and general manager Eric DeCosta retreated to Bisciotti’s Jupiter Island home in South Florida for their annual debriefing in the weeks after a brutal loss to the Bills on a patch of snow-covered turf in Orchard Park, New York, in January, some wondered about the future of Harbaugh, who was set to enter the final year of his contract. Owner and coach had come too far, though, and in late March the winningest coach in Ravens history signed a three-year extension that will keep him in Baltimore through 2028, though perhaps with a caveat. “I want to win now,” Bisciotti, who hasn’t spoken with local reporters since the spring of 2022, told the team’s website during this year’s NFL owners meetings just days after extending Harbaugh. “I want to win with these guys.” Most notably, Harbaugh and quarterback and two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson. “We’ve got a window with Lamar,” Bisciotti continued. “I know what we can do. I know that we worked to put ourselves in position to win. We all get credit for that. That’s all you can do.” ‘Keep it movin’’ A big part of why Harbaugh has survived this long with the same team — aside from his closeness with Bisciotti and savviness as a coach — is his malleability in a landscape that has continued to shift. In his early years, he guided the Ravens to success and eventually a championship with a balanced, pro-style offense that played to quarterback Joe Flacco’s strengths and paired with a defense that was as punishing as it was complex in its use of multiple (read: confusing) looks and pressures. In 2019, a year after the Ravens drafted Jackson, Harbaugh replaced offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg with Greg Roman, a master at scheming up a potent rushing attack who was able to maximize the quarterback’s unique abilities as a runner. Baltimore went 14-2 during the regular season, and Jackson was named the league’s Most Valuable Player. Ravens coach John Harbaugh talks with running back Derrick Henry during practice. Despite changing offensive coordinators, the Ravens' offense has remained elite with Lamar Jackson at the helm. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Then, in 2023, with the need to modernize again, Harbaugh parted ways with Roman and hired Todd Monken, the architect of one of the most prolific offenses in college at Georgia, where he helped the Bulldogs win a pair of national championships. Jackson won his second MVP Award, led Baltimore to the AFC title game then and followed that last season with career highs in passing yards and touchdown passes to earn first-team All-Pro honors. “It starts with our scheme,” Harbaugh said when asked how he has tried to avoid his voice becoming stale. “You gotta keep it movin’. There’s a lot of coaches that can coach a system, coach a scheme, have success for a few years. This league is unforgiving. People catch up with you. So you’re always going to be chasing the scheme, evolving it or re-volving it, going back to something you did before.” Not afraid to change Once again this offseason, Harbaugh needed to pivot. After the Ravens ranked 31st in passing yards allowed per game, Harbaugh fired longtime assistant and pass game coordinator Chris Hewitt and parted ways with senior adviser Dean Pees, whom he’d brought in five games into last season to stanch a leaky secondary. He also let go of inside linebackers coach Mark DeLeone after just one season, too, unhappy with the way the middle of the field was also getting scorched. In their place, he brought back longtime assistant and former Colts coach Chuck Pagano, who was Baltimore’s defensive coordinator in 2011 when the Ravens ranked fourth in pass defense, as senior secondary coach. His long experience, he figures, should pair well with second-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr. Harbaugh also hired rising college assistant Tyler Santucci as his inside linebackers coach, hopeful that his knowledge and attention to detail can have a similar impact as it did at Georgia Tech and Duke. Other changes have permeated as well. After a league-high 140 penalties last season — more than 30% of which came before the snap — Harbaugh over the spring and summer harped on the problem. He did so by having the team often begin practice by focusing on the mechanics of the operation — substitutions, communication, snap count, checking the play, defensive adjustments — without actually running the play. On the personnel side, Baltimore beefed up its secondary with the additions of rookie first-round safety Malaki Starks and free agent cornerbacks Jaire Alexander and Chidobe Awuzie with an eye toward perhaps more aggressive man coverage as opposed to the bend-but-don’t-break Tampa 2 zone. The Ravens also drafted talented but controversial edge rusher Mike Green, who fell to the second round amid two sexual assault allegations, to wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks, something Harbaugh is optimistic about. He also had to navigate the sexual misconduct allegations from more than 15 massage therapists against the team’s longest tenured player and the most accurate kicker in NFL history, Justin Tucker. In the end, the voluminous and disturbing accusations were too much to bring him back. Though the Ravens publicly called Tucker’s release in May a “football decision,” the organization’s brain trust was aware of the challenges of bringing him back. Tucker was also being investigated by the NFL and was later suspended for the first 10 games of the season. And, of course, there has been that focus on not turning the ball over, particularly when the stakes are at their highest. “We’ve been very good about protecting the ball [in the regular season], but in these last two playoff losses, it has not been a successful formula for us,” Harbaugh said. “So we know we’re not doing something intentional enough.” Ravens senior defensive assistant and secondary coach Chuck Pagano takes questions during training camp. Pagano is part of the retooled Ravens' defensive staff trying to make the unit one of the league's best after an inconsistent 2024 campaign. (Kim Hairston/Staff) Pressure’s on Not long after speaking, the 110-inch television screens behind Harbaugh spring to life with the day’s latest practice report, each day tabulated to show who’s leading as well as each category. “It’s the details that matter,” tight end Mark Andrews said. “It’s the details that win games.” A Raven since 2018 and the target of a pass from Jackson on a 2-point conversion with 93 seconds remaining on that cold evening in upstate New York in January, Andrews knows this perhaps better than most in the locker room. So does Harbaugh — it goes with the job description, after all — which is why, after a dozen years since the Ravens’ last Super Bowl appearance and perhaps the best roster in football at his disposal, he recognizes what’s ahead. He despises a Super-Bowl-or-bust notion. But at this point, that’s all there is. After an offseason spent recharging in the hills of Montana, at the beach in North Carolina and watching his daughter finish her college lacrosse career at the University of South Florida, followed by another training camp and adapting once more, the pursuit is upon him. He hopes that what he has implemented will, at last, pay off. “We built that — the impactful things — into everything we decided,” Harbaugh says. “And we try to make sure we make those the important things to the highest level, every day.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

In years past, they were called prima donnas. It’s the nature of being a star receiver or tight end in the NFL. If they don’t get enough catches, they complain. If they don’t score enough touchdowns, they criticize. Whah, whah, whah … It will be a major concern for Ravens coach John Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Todd Monken heading into the 2025 season. The Ravens have loaded up with receivers. They have a sure-handed veteran like DeAndre Hopkins, the fast, elusive type with slot receiver Zay Flowers, a strong route runner in Rashod Bateman, and maybe the best group of tight ends in the league with Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar. Overall, this group isn’t on par with Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins or Tampa Bay’s Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, but they should be good — even exceptional at times. But when does the complaining start? It’s going to happen, just as sure as the Ravens wear purple on game day. “I think at the end of the day, it has to be an unselfish group,” Andrews said. “And that’s not to say that guys aren’t going to want the rock and to have their yards, have their carries or have their catches, and I think that’s a great thing. I think [Monken] talks about that a lot. And for us, it’s being unselfish, trusting the process and trusting No. 8. He makes incredible reads, incredible decisions, and it leads us to victories. And when we do that, good things will happen. “It’s about being there for him.” It all starts with victories. The more wins a team has, the less the players can complain. But it’s also about high-maintenance personalities, emotional moments and the type of offense a team operates. Oh, and let’s not forget about contracts. Likely, Andrews and Hopkins are in the final years of their deals. This will all be interesting to watch. “I think this [wide receivers] room is full of unselfish receivers, and I think last year was a testimony to that,” Hopkins said. “Those guys are winning games and just balling out. I think both of the [starting] receivers had good years last year. So, coming into it, I feel like it was a good group already from what I heard about them. Then, coming here, they just want to win and play unselfish ball.” Ravens wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, right, greets quarterback Lamar Jackson during pracctice. “I think this [wide receivers] room is full of unselfish receivers," Hopkins said. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Receivers are emotional types. They complain just to complain, and No. 1 receivers are more prone to outbursts. The Ravens have had two in their brief 30-year history with Derrick Mason and later Steve Smith Sr., one of my favorites. Smith didn’t have a chip on his shoulder, but a mountain. Yet, that’s what drove the 5-foot-9, 195-pound receiver and made him great. Hopkins has had similar success. Drafted in the first round by the Houston Texans in 2013, Hopkins, 33, has been the top receiver in Houston, Arizona and Tennessee before moving on to Kansas City last year and Baltimore this season. Hopkins has 984 catches for 12,965 yards for 83 touchdowns in 178 career games, so it might be a struggle for him dropping from the No. 1 target to possibly No. 3. “Oh, when he didn’t get the ball in Arizona, he certainly let [Cardinals quarterback Kyle Murray] know about it,” said one of his former teammates in Arizona. “He won’t hesitate to jump a quarterback. This will be interesting for him with the Ravens.” Hopkins has a one-year contract for $5 million this season but could make as much as $6 million. Andrews, 29, has a salary cap number of almost $17 million this season, possibly his last with Baltimore. Likely, 25, is in the final year of his rookie deal worth $3.4 million. Andrews has been quarterback Lamar Jackson’s favorite target since both joined were drafted in 2018, and that won’t change, especially from what we’ve seen so far in training camp. When the Ravens need a play, Jackson has tunnel vision to Andrews. But three years ago, Ravens officials didn’t bring Andrews to the podium after he didn’t register a catch in a game. Before the start of last season, Bateman sulked during organized team activities when he wasn’t involved much in the offense until the Ravens signed him to a three-year, $37 million contract extension on June 5. Now, all of them are in the mix. There are other dynamics involved as well. The Ravens prefer to be balanced, like every team in the NFL, but this is a run-oriented offense. The Ravens had 554 rushing attempts last season for 3,189 yards and halfback Derrick Henry had 325 carries for 1,921 of those yards. Jackson threw for 4,172 yards on 474 attempts and rushed 139 times for 915 yards. He threw 41 touchdown passes and rushed for four more scores. The emphasis, as it should be, will be on the running game. The other factor is that the Ravens don’t have good pass blockers, which was clearly evident last season and again against Indianapolis in the preseason opener. Jackson loves to improvise, but he’s more of a factor as a runner than a passer. Will this encourage or discourage the complaints? Jackson isn’t an in-your-face quarterback. That’s not his style. He is harder on himself than on his teammates. Maybe that changes, but it probably won’t. "Lamar is more vocal than he ever has been about what he wants from us," wide receiver Rashod Bateman said. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) “Lamar is more vocal than he ever has been about what he wants from us, even to the staff and the offensive linemen,” Bateman said. “He’s definitely pushing the agenda of just staying hungry and being competitive. He’s definitely a competitive guy, and he’s leading us in the right direction with that.” That’s where Monken and Harbaugh have to step in. Monken has that old-school, salty demeanor. He’s been around the NFL for four years before running the offense at the University of Georgia from 2020 to 2022, but he is aware that the ball has to be spread around. Yet, he will only take so much. Related Articles Ravens QB Lamar Jackson didn’t speak up. He’s ‘not having that this year.’ The Ravens’ defense wants to be feared. History is the standard. With Kyle Hamilton contract done, where are Ravens with QB Lamar Jackson? Mike Preston: The Steelers pose a threat to the Ravens | COMMENTARY 5 things we learned from Ravens training camp ahead of 2025 season Harbaugh is more of a politician, unlike his younger brother, Jim. John can be direct at times, but has evolved as a coach. Shortly after the Ravens’ 2012 championship season, he learned how to handle high-maintenance personalities to be successful. Notice how he cajoles Jackson, always telling him about his greatness. He got a couple of good years out of disgruntled cornerback Marcus Peters from 2019 to 2022. This year, though, could be different. It’s just not one or two players, but five or six. It’s all part of a season filled with expectations, which at times could become a distraction. Monken and Harbaugh need to be prepared. Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

It was late on a Friday night in May and the crowd inside The Horse You Came In On Saloon in trendy Fells Point was starting to stir. Finally, just after 10 p.m., the main attraction, Ravens star Lamar Jackson, made his way through a side entrance of the building that first opened for business in 1775 and settled into a cordoned off section of the bar. The quarterback and two-time NFL Most Valuable Player was there to promote a new horse racing team, the Maryland Colts, that he’d bought an ownership stake in, and he was joined by his small but tight circle of confidants. But there was also a surprise and notable figure among the group: Jackson’s mom, Felicia Jones, who, in a rare appearance at a public event in the city, took up residence on a corner stool and cast a watchful eye from underneath a bucket hat as the wanting audience began to swell around her famous son. Though she often stays at Jackson’s Owings Mills house during the season, Jones rarely attends games. Yet her pull remains significant if not paramount in her eldest son’s life. That was of course true in Jackson’s formative days, when she pushed him through pulverizing backyard football drills in South Florida, and remains so even now. Jackson, 28, is preparing to enter his eighth NFL season. He’s continuing his ascent not only toward the mountaintop of the biggest and most popular sport in the country, but his pursuit of an elusive Super Bowl title that on draft night eight years ago he promised to one day deliver to Charm City. So, when Baltimore suffered another disillusioning, turnover-filled playoff loss, this time in the divisional round to the Buffalo Bills in January, Jones had some motherly words of wisdom. “She’s been a voice to me all my life,” Jackson told The Baltimore Sun, a slight crack in his voice. “Anytime she says something to me, she’s adamant about it, and she was on me about it.” Jones told him, in short, that he needed to go back to how he was during his youth football days. “That’s when I was vocal,” Jackson continued. “When things weren’t happening, I’d tell people get the [expletive] off the field. “Now I’m kinda doing the same, and my guys are looking at me like, ‘He’s talking to me a certain way.’ Like, not no disrespect. We’re competitive out here. When I see you lacking that, get off the field and put somebody else in. They don’t shy away. They like to compete as well. But if I feel like you’re jogging out here and we going full speed, get off the [expletive] field. They come back to me and talk to me and I let them know we’re not having that this year. “We’re trying to get somewhere. I let things like that happen in the past, but I’m not having that no more.” The past is, of course, what haunts Jackson’s present and perhaps future, his postseason performances a giant spaghetti stain on Sunday best attire. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson hugs running back Justice Hill during training camp. Wide receiver Rashod Bateman said that Jackson is "he's more vocal than he ever has been about what he wants from us." (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) In the regular season, he has set several NFL records, including last season becoming the first player to throw for at least 4,000 yards and run for at least 900 in the same season and the first to throw at least 40 touchdown passes with fewer than five interceptions. He also holds the career record for most rushing yards by a quarterback and in 2023 became the youngest quarterback to twice be named MVP of the league. In the playoffs, however, Baltimore is just 3-5 with Jackson at the helm, has reached the AFC championship game only once (losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in 2024) and has yet to figure out how translate regular-season mastery into postseason majesty. Jackson has often been at the nexus of those woebegone performances, completing 60.6% of his passes while averaging 219 passing yards, 70 rushing yards and throwing 10 touchdown passes with 11 turnovers (seven interceptions, four fumbles) in that span. As a result, he’s the only two-time MVP that has failed to reach a Super Bowl. Two of those turnovers came in that loss to the Bills, with Jackson throwing an interception on a pass intended for Rashod Bateman in the first quarter, then fumbling in the second as he tried to turn nothing into something with defenders closing in and the slippery ball sliding from his grasp like an ice cube on a snowy evening in Orchard Park, New York. “I feel like I did a great job controlling my hype at the end of the season,” Jackson told The Sun. “The costly turnovers, I can’t even tell you how they happened. Seeing the coverage, OK man coverage, me and him wasn’t on the same page. Then the fumble, I’m squeezing the ball to put it in, it fell out. That was some movie-type situation. That’s not supposed to happen.” Indeed. In fairness to Jackson, he hasn’t been the only Ravens player during his tenure with some dubious moments when the stakes were at their highest. In the AFC championship game against the Chiefs, Zay Flowers, then a rookie, had the ball poked away by cornerback L’Jarius Sneed as he dove for the end zone early in the fourth quarter after the receiver had been flagged for taunting following a long catch earlier on the drive. Then there was tight end Mark Andrews’ crushing drop of a would-be game-tying 2-point conversion with 1:33 remaining against the Bills last season. Still, the blame, much like the praise, goes to Jackson, much the way it did so long for Peyton Manning. Like Jackson, he was twice named NFL MVP in his first seven years. Like Jackson, the Indianapolis Colts were just 3-5 in the playoffs with Manning in that span. Like Jackson, he put up similar postseason numbers, completing 60.4% of his passes for 2,172 yards with 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Like Jackson, whose path has been blocked in part by three-time Super Bowl champion quarterback and Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes, Manning’s path to the final game of the season was often impeded by the New England Patriots’ Tom Brady. Which is perhaps why, among other reasons, optimism remains. Manning reached, and won, his first Super Bowl in his ninth season, 2006, and appeared in two more with the Denver Broncos, winning his second title in 2015. “Lamar is young,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “So, his window to improve is pretty big. “First of all, he works really hard. Secondly, he really wants to get better, and he’s already great. He’s not one of these guys that says, ‘I’m there, I’ve arrived.’ He never looks at it that way. He always looks at what [he can] do to get better. If there’s something that happens on the field, even when it’s not ‘his fault,’ it’s his fault in his mind. ‘What can I do to make it right?’ And I know he has done a good job of communicating that with the team as well with that kind of mindset. So, he’s grown in every way.” But Jackson also knows the opportunities can be fleeting. So he said he watched film of Baltimore’s losses from last season. He connected with fellow South Florida native Flowers for a few offseason throwing sessions. And he has the best collection of talent that he’s ever had, with three-time All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins added to an offense that includes running back Derrick Henry for a second straight year along with the burgeoning Flowers and Bateman along with Andrews and the ascending (albeit injured for now) Isaiah Likely. Jackson is also entering his third year in offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s scheme, and with that comes a certain degree of comfort. “It started [to jell] last year after the first year in the offseason with [Harbaugh] saying here’s what we did, here’s what I think is us,” Monken told The Sun. “Where do we take this to 2.0 and where do we take for this Lamar? “The second year was a big part of that. We had some guys mature as players — Flowers, Bateman — and we got Derrick. So this year, how do we drill down on the things that bog us down? Early in the year it was penalties, games where we turn it over in bunches. We turn it over like that, I don’t give a s—t who we play we’re going to lose. Those little things fighting our operation — time at the line, getting in and out of plays, Lamar having more of the offense, an awareness of where we want to end up as an offense. Where can we get better at these few things that will help us in critical times?” Mentally, Jackson is in a different place now, quarterbacks coach Tee Martin said. “The next level is just taking the things that he already improved in and continuing to improve in those areas,” Martin said. “But also consistently doing them every day, every rep.” A hyper-detailed daily grading system that is blasted across screens throughout the Ravens’ training facility is just one reminder of the progress, for the quarterback and the rest of the team. Jackson’s voice is another. “Lamar, he’s more vocal than he ever has been about what he wants from us, even to the staff and the offensive linemen,” Bateman said. It’s intentional. “Certain guys, they need to hear from me more,” Jackson told The Sun. “They don’t know what I’m thinking. Some guys just look at me like, ‘Lamar’s going to make something happen.’ I need you guys to play your part as well. “We got a lot of young guys on our team, [but] even the vets sometimes like to hear from me on certain things to know what I’m thinking on certain things so we can have the same chemistry out on the field.” It’s why Jackson, a buoyant presence in the locker room but often taciturn with most teammates away from the facility and especially in the offseason, has tried to be more communicative. He speaks up more in meetings. There are more text messages. Related Articles Mike Preston: Ravens leaders should be prepared for some drama | COMMENTARY The Ravens’ defense wants to be feared. History is the standard. With Kyle Hamilton contract done, where are Ravens with QB Lamar Jackson? Mike Preston: The Steelers pose a threat to the Ravens | COMMENTARY 5 things we learned from Ravens training camp ahead of 2025 season “I think he understands what we’re trying to accomplish against what we’re seeing every day, and I think every day he feels more comfortable voicing his pleasure [and] displeasure, in terms of what we do or how he wants to see,” Monken said. “That’s probably strong, but just being able to communicate, because everything goes through him. “He’s still coming. He’s still a young player, really, at quarterback in my mind.” Jackson’s mind, meanwhile, can’t help but go back. First to hearing his mom’s voice. “She’s gonna coach me like she’s Harbaugh, like she Coach Tee or Coach Monk,” he told The Sun. “She’s always been my coach and I listen to her.” Then to his own, in the locker room at Highmark Stadium during halftime of that chilly night against the Bills just over seven months ago. “I told my guys everybody just play your part I’m gonna put us back in the game,” he told The Sun. “We can’t have those type of mistakes in the playoffs.” Especially Jackson, now more than ever. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

Zach Orr opens every defensive team meeting with a history lesson. That’s because most of his players either weren’t born or weren’t football conscious when the Ravens of yesteryear trotted out some of the baddest dudes in the NFL. The propensity to familiarize his players with organizational lore is Orr sending a message, loud and clear. “We want to be the most feared unit in the league,” he said, “and it’s time for us to get back to people being scared of playing us.” Orr spent this offseason collecting footage of every single Ravens takeaway starting in 2008, coach John Harbaugh’s first year, and each meeting since the start of training camp has begun with a four-clip appetizer. Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, two show-stopping Hall of Famers, are the stars of the show. Haloti Ngata, Terrell Suggs and Jameel McClain all get screen time too. They chased the ball relentlessly and forced takeaways in ways the 2024 Ravens fell short. Orr, the defense’s history professor teaching a generation of visual learners, drives the point home using graphics, like a game-by-game chart mapping out all 46 turnovers the 2000 Ravens forced en route to the organization’s first Super Bowl title. “We say these are the guys who helped build this place,” Orr said. “Let’s show them making plays, accomplishing what we’re trying to accomplish.” Using these history lessons as a way to inform the present and set the tone for the near future was an idea — a way of connecting with his players — that Orr acknowledged that he could only land on after the trials of last year. It takes time to figure out the best way to prepare his players. His rookie season was spent, in part, trying to figure out what players respond to. The verdict? Show his team enough purple jerseys striking fear and forcing takeaways, tethering the current team to their predecessors, in an effort to replicate that success this winter. “[It’s] like the theme of this year,” edge rusher Odafe Oweh told The Baltimore Sun. Much of this can be traced back to November, when signs of trouble first emanated from the home locker room at M&T Bank Stadium. Marlon Humphrey, the longest-tenured Ravens defender, acknowledged after a Thursday night whiplash that something was wrong. It wasn’t just a rough patch. The standard set by those Baltimore defenses for decades, Humphrey said, wasn’t being upheld by him and his teammates. He vowed that would change. “Obviously, we love Lamar Jackson,” Humphrey said. “He’s a great player. But I want the Ravens’ identity to be defense like it was when I first got here.” Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey defends during training camp. Humphrey wants to make the Ravens a feared defense in 2025. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) A slight shift followed that autumn night. The Ravens found a safety to play alongside Kyle Hamilton after the first two flamed out and the defense held a “soul-searching” meeting. Baltimore climbed from the worst defense in football to one of the league’s best over the final weeks of the regular season. It was all for naught when they fell short in the AFC divisional round. Most of the team and a handful of coaches fled town to recharge. This was Humphrey’s first offseason living in Maryland full-time. He spent the better part of the first two weeks in Owings Mills, locked away in a room alongside his coaches, reviewing last season with a fine tooth comb. There were no obvious holes in how they prepared, he said. But the “very simple answer” was the number of takeaways in their playoff loss: Buffalo 3, Baltimore 0. “Besides the final score, takeaways determine wins and losses more than anything else,” said Chuck Pagano, Baltimore’s new secondary coach. “If you’re plus two, you’re plus three, you’re going to win. If you’re plus three, you’re going to win 92% of your games.” Now, the goal of every practice is to force three takeaways. That number shows up as part of Harbaugh’s revamped, detailed grading system that gets posted on television screens all over the facility. Details that “truly impact winning,” Orr said, like how many times a player attacks the football, whether they were a leader in communication or operation, whether a player was penalized or “shots on goal,” meaning how many times a defender attempts to strip a ball loose. That’s all well and good, “but if the turnover box isn’t checked,” Humphrey said, “it wasn’t too good of a practice.” A good practice, by that definition, looks like Aug. 2. Jaire Alexander and Nate Wiggins combined for three interceptions. A week later, Wiggins and Chidobe Awuzie each intercepted Jackson in the same practice. On Aug. 13, David Ojabo jumped on a fumble and T.J. Tampa intercepted backup quarterback Cooper Rush. All of them warranted extra celebrations. “It’s an emphasis every meeting,” linebacker Trenton Simpson told The Sun. “Everybody’s talking about it. It’s a whole defensive thing.” Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr speaks with the media in July. Orr says he uses the 2000 Ravens defense as example of the standard he wants his unit to uphold. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) The Ravens takeaway numbers have been bleak in recent years. It’s hindered them most in the playoffs. Since Jackson became the starter in 2018, the Ravens have forced three total turnovers in nine playoff games. The 2000 Ravens managed 11 takeaways in four playoff games. “I think them seeing the clips and how the game changes by taking the ball away just motivates them even more,” Orr said. “We honestly feel that if we play great defense, that’s gonna lead us to where we want to go. So we had to go all the way back to our roots.” That 2000 defense is widely considered one of the best in NFL history. Hamilton described them as the “ultimate top of the mountain.” On an episode of the “Nightcap” podcast, Shannon Sharpe told a story about what it was like to play tight end for that team. “If we got a 10-0 lead,” Sharpe said, “oh, it was over.” Defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis would go up to him on the sideline and say, “Shay, give us 10.” “I said, 10 what?” By the playoffs, Lewis’ request softened to a touchdown. “I said, ‘Marvin, do you realize what you said? Marvin, these teams are in the playoffs.’” All that defense needed was a lead, preferably an early one. “I was unaware of how elite that 2000 Ravens defense was,” Humphrey said. “Gosh, man. The 2000 Ravens, they got after the ball,” said Alexander, a two-time Pro Bowl selection who joined the team this offseason. “Those guys were getting after everybody, man. … That’s what we want to duplicate.” The late aughts and 2010s shaped what is now referred to around the building as “the standard.” The lineage is painted on every wall of the Under Armour Performance Center, too. Lewis and Reed are the cornerstones of the franchise and two of the best at their position, the only two homegrown defenders represented in Canton, Ohio. Suggs, Baltimore’s all-time leader in sacks and forced fumbles, unofficially named the defense’s successor to the post-Lewis and Reed era, is a good bet to be next on that list. He and Haloti Ngata were the most recent defenders named to the team’s Ring of Honor. When Orr was a player from 2014 to 2016, those guys were either recent exits or in the twilight of their careers. He still felt connected to the past. “Those guys have been gone for a while,” Orr said. This is an attempt to reconnect with an “organization built on defense.” Related Articles With Kyle Hamilton contract done, where are Ravens with QB Lamar Jackson? Mike Preston: The Steelers pose a threat to the Ravens | COMMENTARY 5 things we learned from Ravens training camp ahead of 2025 season Inside how Ravens UDFAs made roster: ‘How could they not be on the team?’ Josh Tolentino: Ravens’ Kyle Hamilton a rare player worth rare price | COMMENTARY Orr’s lesson doesn’t start and stop with grainy highlights or informative charts. Some of the formations that older Ravens teams ran, particularly in the 2010s, are similar to what his team does. So he and his staff will show a side-by-side All-22 clip of how that success is possible in the context of the current scheme. The 2025 Ravens aren’t the 2000 Ravens. But on paper, they might hang around with the best in the current NFL. There are five first-round draft picks in the secondary, two of whom are All-Pros. The pass rush returns two players with double-digit sack from last season, anticipates a breakout year from a former fourth-rounder and added a first-round talent in the second round. There’s an All-Pro along the interior defensive line and another at linebacker, both with what is expected to be solid help. The ceiling is high. “We know we can be that,” linebacker Roquan Smith told The Sun. “It’s not like, ‘Why can’t we?’ We should be this and we will be that. It’s about just holding yourself to the standard.” Orr’s daily testimony hopes to recapture that nostalgia in the contemporary form. Because, historically, what made those Ravens defenses special is that they were feared. Humphrey felt that when he was drafted by Baltimore. The “Raven Flu” was a term used at the time to describe an opposing player who might take an extra week to nurse an injury rather than face Baltimore. Seven years later, Humphrey isn’t so sure the Bengals or Steelers fear their defense. “I feel that way, too,” Orr said. “So that’s one of our goals this year is to be the most dominant, feared defense in the National Football League.” Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article

The first domino has fallen for the Ravens. But now that the future of their most important defensive player, Kyle Hamilton, is secured after making the 24-year-old two-time Pro Bowl selection, 2021 All-Pro and “unicorn” the highest paid safety in the NFL with a four-year extension on Wednesday worth a whopping $100.4 million, a pertinent if not pressing question lingers. What about quarterback and two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson? Currently, Jackson, 28, is under contract through the 2027 season. However, with his salary cap hit skyrocketing from $43.5 million this season to a prohibitive $74.5 million in 2026 and 2027, the clock is already ticking for Baltimore to try to sign him to an extension sooner than later. Talks have begun between the two sides, and while it’s unclear what if any progress has been made, it’s unlikely a deal will get done in the immediate future. “I like to work kind of in the dark, quietly and try and get as much done as we can,” general manager Eric DeCosta said earlier this week. “It takes two to tango, certainly.” It’s not an easy proposition — for either side. When Jackson inked his most recent deal — $260 million over five years — during the 2023 offseason, it briefly made him the highest-paid player in the sport. Three months later, Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert surpassed him and the gulf has only grown since, with six others having higher total contracts and nine others with a higher average annual value. Some of the names ahead of Jackson’s in terms of average annual value also paint the picture. Tua Tagovailoa, Trevor Lawrence, Jordan Love and Dak Prescott, who tops the list at $60 million a year, all have lesser resumes yet make more per year. The current trend around the league of the rising percentage a quarterback’s contract chews up of a team’s salary cap also illuminates the challenges that lay ahead. From 2012 through 2018, for example, only two quarterbacks per year accounted for at least 17% of a team’s salary cap each season, according to Spotrac. That percentage has rapidly increased since, from five in 2019 to nine in 2022 to 12, 13 and 11 each of the past three years. Currently, Jackson’s contract eats up 15.6% of Baltimore’s cap room for 2025. By comparison, Hamilton’s new contract now takes up roughly 9% this year. The Ravens also have other considerations to weigh with Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum, emergent tight end Isaiah Likely, ascending defensive tackle Travis Jones and outside linebacker Odafe Oweh, who is coming off a career-high 10 sacks last season, all scheduled to be free agents after this season. Would a potential impasse with Jackson limit DeCosta’s ability to get significant deals done with those players or others? “I don’t think so,” he said. “Basically, it just comes down to who are those guys going to be?” That means that some tough decisions will have to be made. Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta speaks to the media following their signing of safety Kyle Hamilton. DeCosta has more deals to make, including a possible extension for two-time MVP Lamar Jackson. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) “As I’ve said a thousand times, we can’t keep everybody and so unfortunately, you’re going to see some good players probably in the next couple of years play for other teams,” DeCosta said. “We’ve seen that. That’s going to be something that continues. “Back in 2019, we really kind of said we were going to try and keep as much of our talent as we could. We’ve tried to do that, but we are in a salary cap league, and so that’s the reality. We’ll try to get as creative as possible.” Creativity also only goes so far, though. The last time Jackson, who does not have an agent and represents himself, and the Ravens negotiated, the process dragged into a two-year long saga that was at times contentious and included a trade demand. Along the way, Jackson expressed his desire for the entirety of his contract to be fully guaranteed, rejected two three-year offers and at one point claimed the microphone on his cell phone was not working and thus could not communicate with DeCosta, according to an arbitration hearing over a November 2022 grievance filed by the NFL Players Association against the league over concerns about teams colluding to limit fully guaranteed contracts. Whether the process this time around leads to similar angst for Baltimore and DeCosta remains to be seen, but Jackson’s preternatural abilities along with his unique fit will likely have the quarterback in no hurry. If there is something working in the Ravens’ favor, however, is that the majority of the game’s top quarterbacks are already locked into high-priced long-term deals and not immediately in line for extensions. Still, there are some exceptions, and the price will be significant after the San Francisco 49ers’ Brock Purdy signed a five-year, $265 million extension in May. Most likely at the top of the list is the Houston Texans’ C.J. Stroud, who is entering his third season and is just two years removed from being the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2023. Though Stroud took a step back last season in yards and passing touchdowns while throwing more interceptions, the expectations are high, and if he delivers that could lead to a new deal in 2026. That would be in line with the trend of other top quarterbacks, including Lawrence, Herbert, Joe Burrow and Jalen Hurts, all of whom signed big-money deals after their third year in the league. Related Articles Mike Preston: The Steelers pose a threat to the Ravens | COMMENTARY 5 things we learned from Ravens training camp ahead of 2025 season Inside how Ravens UDFAs made roster: ‘How could they not be on the team?’ Josh Tolentino: Ravens’ Kyle Hamilton a rare player worth rare price | COMMENTARY Ravens roster: Beau Brade, Jalyn Armour-Davis claimed by new teams; Tyler Huntley returns Whenever the Ravens and Jackson come together on the next contract — something that is more a question of when and for how much more than if — there’s at least one thing the sides already agree on: not discussing it publicly (at least for the moment). “You know I never discuss contract situations here,” Jackson said in June. “I don’t want to talk about it.” Asked if becoming the highest paid player in the NFL sounded good to him, however, he conceded with a smile, “It sounds good.” In the meantime, DeCosta and his vice president of football administration Nick Matteo will keep crunching the numbers to keep their window of being a Super Bowl contender open. “I hate that idea of just a closed window,” DeCosta said. “Being a GM on a closed window team gives me anxiety, and I don’t want to be that GM.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

The Pittsburgh Steelers have become the most intriguing team in the AFC. While Kansas City, Buffalo and Baltimore are the top contenders, Pittsburgh is quietly gaining the most interest. The Steelers have loaded up with free agents such as quarterback Aaron Rodgers, wide receiver DK Metcalf and Pro Bowl defensive backs Darius Slay and Jalen Ramsey. When teams acquire veterans, it’s a sign that they are trying to be serious contenders. The Steelers also have a group of players who should be rounding into their prime, and combined with coach Mike Tomlin having lost six straight playoff games, it might be time for the Steelers to either step up or step back. A lot falls on the shoulder and arm of Rodgers. At age 41, he is no longer in the same class with the Bills’ Josh Allen, the Ravens’ Lamar Jackson or the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, but he did complete 63% of his passes for 3,897 yards and 28 touchdowns with the 5-12 New York Jets last season. Here is another difference between Rodgers and the other ageless wonder, Russell Wilson, who appeared to run out of gas in Pittsburgh near the end of last season: Rodgers can still throw all over the field, especially in the middle, which Wilson either didn’t or wasn’t allowed to do in the final quarter of last season. Pittsburgh lost its final four regular-season games to finish 10-7, though three were against top teams in Philadelphia, Baltimore and Kansas City. Even more importantly, there have been reports that Rodgers has had a lot of Kumbaya moments, cozying up and forming friendships with Steelers teammates and front office personnel. That’s different from the stories about him being so isolated in the past in Green Bay and New York. It appears to be a good mix. You have Tomlin, the longest-tenured coach in the NFL who hasn’t won a playoff game in six straight years. Then you have Rodgers, a four-time NFL Most Valuable Player. On the outside is Metcalf, who can flat-out fly at 6-foot-4 and 229 pounds, and in the middle is tight end Pat Freiermuth. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh has three starting offensive linemen drafted in the past three years, including tackles Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu. It’s a formidable offense and certainly spices up the Ravens-Steelers rivalry. Baltimore has a new and improved secondary that features safeties Kyle Hamilton, Malaki Starks and cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey, Nate Wiggins, Jaire Alexander and Chidobe Awuzie. Pittsburgh, though, has improved on defense as well by adding Ramsey and Slay to go along with cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and former Ravens safety DeShon Elliott. Forget about base defense. Most teams will be playing with an extra defensive back, and Tomlin has a group that rivals the Ravens’ in sheer talent. Baltimore wide receivers Zay Flowers, DeAndre Hopkins, Rashod Bateman and tight end Mark Andrews will be a great matchup against Pittsburgh’s secondary. Related Articles 5 things we learned from Ravens training camp ahead of 2025 season Inside how Ravens UDFAs made roster: ‘How could they not be on the team?’ Josh Tolentino: Ravens’ Kyle Hamilton a rare player worth rare price | COMMENTARY Ravens roster: Beau Brade, Jalyn Armour-Davis claimed by new teams; Tyler Huntley returns Ravens’ Kyle Hamilton signs extension, becomes NFL’s highest-paid safety The rest of the AFC North shouldn’t be much of a problem. Cincinnati has quarterback Joe Burrow and receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but the Bengals will be exposed much like they were in 2024 when they averaged 27.8 points per game but allowed 25.5 points and 348.3 yards per contest. The Browns are still the clowns. When a team has five quarterbacks in training camp, they really don’t have one. Cleveland’s current starting quarterback, Joe Flacco, will always be a hero in Baltimore for winning the Super Bowl in the 2012 season, but there aren’t many players on the Cleveland roster who scare you. Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy and tight ends David Njoku and Harold Fannin Jr.? OK, nothing special there. On defense, the Browns have defensive end Myles Garrett and cornerbacks Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome II, but they won’t be enough unless the Ravens turn in another weak effort like their 29-24 loss to the Browns last season in Cleveland. So, it’s basically the same top teams again. The Steelers, with 41-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers under center, are among the NFL's most interesting teams. (Matt Freed/AP) The Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos have improved, but both are soft. The Chiefs have receivers Xavier Worthy and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, tight end Travis Kelce and running back Isiah Pacheco. And, of course, Mahomes, who is a three-time Super Bowl champion. Neither Allen nor Jackson has played in a Super Bowl, but it’s only a matter of time before one prevails. Both have special talents and elevate their offenses. Buffalo has a stronger offensive line, but the Ravens are better on the defensive front. By process of elimination and Mahomes running out of miracles, either Jackson or Allen will get there. But the Steelers are intriguing. They have Tomlin, one of the best coaches in the NFL. They have Rodgers, who might have enough talent remaining to get Pittsburgh over the proverbial hump. He is the best quarterback the franchise has signed since Ben Roethlisberger retired at the end of the 2021 season. Regardless, the Steelers are a hard bunch to figure out, but they should make the 2025 season very interesting. They seem prepared to make a long, serious run. Contenders or pretenders? We’ll find out soon. Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

Ravens players have spent all summer acknowledging two competing truths: What they do during training camp matters and what they do during training camp, ultimately, doesn’t matter. What matters is how this team looks by winter’s end. Training camp is meant to lay the brickwork for the long game. Here are five things we learned: Ravens are prioritizing the little details This summer, coach John Harbaugh implemented a more transparent grading system. The detailed collection of practice data that staffers normally collect from every game permeated into the offseason, now showing up on television screens in meeting rooms all around the Under Armour Performance Center in Owings Mills. It measures individual performances and tracks the progress of players within their positional groups. “Probably the best way to describe it is just to take it to another level,” Harbaugh said. “When you go through the things that we’ve gone through, in terms of different games and things like that, they can see when we do those things well, most of the time the game’s not even close.” “Everything is graded,” cornerback Marlon Humphrey said. “Literally every single thing that you can possibly grade is graded.” The offense is marked for the “Raven Claw,” according to fullback Pat Ricard, measuring ball security. There’s a “convoy” stat detailing a player’s willingness to run to the ball. The defense measures “shots on goal,” which is the number of times a player attempts to punch a ball loose, as well as whether a player exemplified leadership qualities either in communication or operation. Offensive linemen are nicked for poor presnap operations, and the defense cashes in their chips for every forced turnover. Running backs coach Willie Taggart said that he hears leaderboard chatter every day. The first thing players do when they walk into a room is check out the monitor to see their standing for the day. Coaches feel less inclined to harp on a player. There’s less need to explain where certain lapses were that day when said player can see the data for themselves and feel self-motivated to come back better the following day. “They don’t like when they get bad grades,” Taggart said with a laugh. The Ravens were among the best teams in the NFL in 2024. Their offense was, by most metrics, the best in the league. Defensively, they came around in the back half to be considered one of the NFL’s better groups. Everything that made them sharpest during the regular season — impeccable ball security, a stout run defense and a reliably potent offense — all came back to bite them during a snowy playoff game in Orchard Park, New York. Practices have been sharper as a result of this newfound fixation. Attention to detail can influence their regular season. Intentional preparation could separate them in the playoffs. It’s not just Harbaugh taking such steps. Players such as Humphrey, Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman took the initiative to revitalize Baltimore’s famed “Breakfast Club” workouts, initially started by former Ravens safety Eric Weddle. All throughout training camp, a small group of players has gathered in the gym at 6 a.m. to enjoy their morning lift together. That’s eight hours before practice starts. And to keep everyone accountable, any player who tries to walk through the door at 6:01 a.m. or later will be turned away. “We’re trying to create an environment where everything matters,” Humphrey said. “6:01 a.m., does it really matter? No. But does it? Yes. So, it’s kind of just another thing we’re trying to do. Everything matters. Accountability is going to be the key to the season.” Ravens kicker Tyler Loop celebrates after making a 61-yard field goal in the team's preseason finale. Loop is the team's starting kicker entering 2025. (Stephanie Scarbrough/AP) How the Ravens found their kicker It has been, undoubtedly, the most gripping storyline of camp. Let’s review. Senior special teams coach Randy Brown spent his spring canvassing the country for a kicker. The Ravens needed a succession plan in light of sexual misconduct allegations that would eventually lead to Justin Tucker’s release and a 10-game suspension brought down by the NFL. After three West Coast trips and extensive evaluations, Brown found a kid named Tyler Loop. There was an official interview at a restaurant in Tucson, Arizona. Brown spent 2 1/2 hours sipping on Pepsi and getting to know Loop, connecting over the minutiae of field goal kicking. At one point, they cleared out a few tables for Loop to stand up and diagram his swing. Brown texted Harbaugh afterward, “I think we have our guy.” In late April, the Ravens used a sixth-round pick on Loop. It marked the first time the organization had ever drafted a kicker. Loop’s dad, Steve, was the one who pointed that factoid out to him. Every one of the 24-year-old’s kicks was diligently tracked. Unofficially, Loop went 78-for-84 in training camp practices before he was named the starter on Aug. 16, when the maniacal note-taking softened. He finished 9-for-11 through three preseason games. What’s more impressive is his pair of misses, from 46 yards against the Colts and 50 in Dallas, were each followed by a dead-eye 50-plus-yarder. Loop proved one miss won’t derail his day. His 61-yarder against Washington confirmed the big leg hype. Loop didn’t show up ready to go, as evidenced by a tough rookie camp showing. “Tyler had a little different way that he planted,” Brown said. “He had a little different way where he struck the ball. He had a little different way of how he swung, and his sweet spot was a little lower, so we had to change all that, and his apex was higher. … We’ve worked hard on it. We’ve only had three months, but we’ve worked very hard on changing how we can hit a ball in the AFC North the way the ball should be hit in the AFC North.” A word of caution: Don’t expect Loop to be the kicker Tucker was. A spoiler: He won’t be. But based on what we’ve seen the past four weeks, he’s ready to be Baltimore’s kicker. “I’ve been around a lot of people,” punter Jordan Stout told The Baltimore Sun earlier this month. “I think he has the biggest leg I’ve ever seen.” Ravens aim to hit on one UDFA every year. They hit on 3. A streak spanning 21 of the past 22 years says more about the organization’s scouting and development infrastructure than it does the individual player. For over two decades, every season sans the pandemic fall, the Ravens have included an undrafted rookie on their initial 53-man roster. “When the draft ends,” general manager Eric DeCosta said, “we spend hours on those guys evaluating those players and talking about their backgrounds and their mentalities. We really are just hoping to hit on one guy every year.” This year, the Ravens saw three through the roster cutdown deadline: linebacker Jay Higgins IV, cornerback Keyon Martin and safety Reuben Lowery. Toss sophomore Corey Bullock into that group, too. He was a UDFA who spent his rookie year on the practice squad and earned his keep this year as the team’s backup center. It wasn’t for lack of talent elsewhere. Those guys unseated a former draft pick in Jalyn Armour-Davis and the formerly rostered Beau Brade. Ravens cornerback Reuben Lowery sprints during training camp. Lowery made the Ravens' 53-man roster after a great camp. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Lowery impressed right from the start of camp. The Tennessee-Chattanooga product was the first UDFA to turn heads, so when two cornerbacks suffered season-ending injuries, it was Lowery who was thought to benefit from his versatility. Martin worked his way from tryout candidate to camp signee to a roster spot. And Higgins, the least likely of the three to make it based on roster math, got lightheaded on his way to DeCosta’s office. He doubled over in joy when he found out he made the roster. An otherwise drama-free August was made interesting by the trio. “It’s unusual,” Harbaugh said, but to find such diamonds in the rough is something the Ravens take great pride in. “I only tried out [for] the Ravens,” Martin said. “The Ravens were the only ones that called me.” For Lowery, it was “radio silence” after the NFL draft until the Ravens called, earning a joyful sigh of relief. Higgins, who defensive coordinator Zach Orr said should have been drafted, came face-to-face with the reality that he might not have a future in football before Baltimore came around. “We could have traded these three guys,” DeCosta said. “Teams were calling left and right, and that’s kind of validation for what you think you might see on tape. It just became abundantly clear that these were talented players that, for whatever reason, were overlooked by the entire league, including us, and deserved to be on teams and who can help us be our best.” Ravens can’t count on a clean bill of health The Ravens dodged two bullets these past few weeks. For one, Isaiah Likely is expected to return sooner rather than later. The ascending tight end underwent surgery for a small fracture suffered in late July. There was optimism, but never certainty of his recovery timeline. When Baltimore held a spot for Likely on its initial 53-man roster this week, rather than landing on the injured reserve, it was a sign they expect him to play sometime in September. Related Articles Inside how Ravens UDFAs made roster: ‘How could they not be on the team?’ Josh Tolentino: Ravens’ Kyle Hamilton a rare player worth rare price | COMMENTARY Ravens roster: Beau Brade, Jalyn Armour-Davis claimed by new teams; Tyler Huntley returns Ravens’ Kyle Hamilton signs extension, becomes NFL’s highest-paid safety Josh Tolentino: Ravens’ special teams is a huge question mark | COMMENTARY The other bullet dodged, this one Matrix-style, was the news that quarterback Lamar Jackson was going to be fine. The two-time NFL Most Valuable Player and centerpiece of Baltimore’s Super Bowl aspirations left practice last week after having his foot stepped on, the team said. Imaging came back negative, and Jackson returned to the field Monday with no signs of trouble. Phew. Baltimore knows the other side of that relief, the darker side. Flowers was held out from the AFC divisional round for a right knee sprain but has been healthy through the summer. Starting safety Ar’Darius Washington suffered a torn Achilles tendon in the offseason and will miss most, if not all, the regular season. On paper, the Ravens have perhaps the best roster in the NFL. All signs point to February. They’re a team more than capable of winning several playoff games. “We can do everything we want to do and more,” veteran left tackle Ronnie Stanley said, “and I feel like we are very capable, and we have the people to do it.” Health is perhaps the biggest stumbling block standing in their way. It’s football — injuries are a given. Baltimore already lost a pair of rookie cornerbacks who were on the bubble to make the roster. Chidobe Awuzie returned to practice after missing multiple weeks. Jaire Alexander hasn’t practiced in a month. Jake Hummel underwent minor hand surgery. Mark Andrews hasn’t fully practiced in about a week. Ricard has been absent as of late, too. Harbaugh expects all those guys to be ready by next week. And yet, as stacked as this roster is, they’ll surely have to manage some unfortunate injury luck at some point this season to get where they want to go. Record-setting Ravens offense added firepower Last year was a historic run for the Ravens’ offense. Jackson finished the regular season with 4,172 passing yards and 41 passing touchdowns with only four interceptions. His 119.6 passer rating was the fourth-highest mark in NFL history. Beyond the quarterback play, Baltimore became the first team in NFL history to score 40 passing touchdowns and 20 rushing touchdowns in the same season, as well as the first to pass for 4,000 yards and rush for more than 3,000. The Ravens’ total offensive production ranks third in NFL history, one spot better than the “Greatest Show on Turf” 2000 Rams. The 2025 Ravens might be even better. Digest that for a moment. Future Hall of Fame wideout DeAndre Hopkins joins the fold as a contested catch option, complementing Flowers and Bateman. The five-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time All-Pro was most recently a contributor to Kansas City’s Super Bowl run last season, traded at the deadline from Tennessee. When he first met with reporters in Owings Mills in early July, Hopkins said he felt like “there’s been a piece that’s been missing” and that “I could be that addition.” Keaton Mitchell is the other potential new outlet for offensive juice. The third-year running back who suffered a devastating knee injury during his rookie season popped in camp, like a new-and-improved version of his former self. Sharp cuts and mystifying speed mean the Ravens have a reliable kick returner and a third running back to find a way to get touches. Mitchell’s nine-carry, 68-yard performance against Indianapolis in the preseason opener offered a glimpse at what’s possible. “I’m not going to get into any expectations because everything looks good on paper until you go out there and actually do it,” Derrick Henry said. “We know what we’re capable of and what we can do.” Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell celebrates a touchdown during a preseason game against the Colts. Mitchell's impressive offseason means the Ravens have at least three reliable running backs entering the season. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) View the full article

Jay Higgins IV was sitting at lunch with fellow Ravens linebacker Jake Hummel and center Tyler Linderbaum on Tuesday afternoon in Owings Mills when he felt a tap on his shoulder in the team’s dining room. He was being summoned upstairs to see general manager Eric DeCosta. With roster cuts looming, the undrafted rookie free agent out of Iowa thought that he was going to meet his football Azrael, so he started to feel lightheaded. As he walked down the hall, his heart rate kept “rising and rising,” he said. When he walked into DeCosta’s office, it “really started beating.” Undrafted free agent cornerback Keyon Martin had also gotten a tap on the shoulder to head upstairs. “Heart was racing a little bit,” he said. “Everybody know about those tough conversations. Thought that’s what I was going up there for.” But when undrafted free agent rookie safety Reuben Lowery — who at one point in the spring was competing with Martin for a potential nickel role — passed Martin on the stairs, their smiles told their fates. Without a word, each knew the other had survived and, along with Higgins, beat the odds to make it on Baltimore’s initial 53-man roster. “It’s definitely unusual,” coach John Harbaugh said Wednesday about three undrafted free agents landing on a roster replete with first-round picks and All-Pro talent. “When it comes right down to it, it comes down to what you do on the field.” In that way, there was little argument, even for a team expected to contend for a Super Bowl. Higgins stood out this summer with an interception of Colts quarterback Riley Leonard in Baltimore’s preseason opener, then followed with a team-high six tackles and a strip-sack the next week against the Cowboys. Martin, meanwhile, recorded a safety with a sack of Cowboys quarterback Joe Milton III and last week against the Commanders returned an interception for a touchdown. And Lowery has consistently had his nose around the football since the spring, including on an interception against the Cowboys. But it was the plays big and small that caught coaches’ attention all summer. “He’s really instinctive, high football IQ,” defensive coordinator Zach Orr said of Higgins, perplexed that the All-American out of Iowa didn’t get drafted. “A lot of linebackers now got moved to linebacker late in college or his first time playing the position was in college. He’s been a linebacker basically his whole life. So, he understands how to read linemen, read pulls, understands zone drops, man drops, spacing in coverage. “He was a great player in college. His resume speaks for itself, he should have been drafted, but measurables probably knocked him down. He’s definitely athletic enough [and] fast enough to play at this level.” For Martin, who had to wait for the Ravens to invite him for a tryout before he could even sign after the draft when no one else called, the path was longer and more challenging for the 5-foot-9, 170-pound Louisiana alumnus by way of Football Championship Subdivision Youngstown State. Ravens defensive back Keyon Martin made the team's 53-man roster despite going undrafted out of college. He's one of three rookies to make the Ravens' team despite not being a draft pick. (Kim Hairston/Staff) Yet, Harbaugh’s notes that he scribbled down detailed the appeal: “No hesitation player, a player that can process accurately and quickly and then without hesitation and can go respond and show up where he’s supposed to show up on time or ahead of time.” When it came to Lowery, there were even fewer doubts. “From Day 1, he was asking all the right questions,” senior secondary coach Chuck Pagano said. “He takes care of himself; he takes care of his body. He’s not going to be one of those guys that walks out on the field and is not prepared and doesn’t know what he’s going to do.” Still, there were few openings and tough decisions that had to be made in trimming down the roster from 89 players. There was also belief — evident by some of the Ravens’ surprising cuts as much as who they kept. Twenty-seven years ago, DeCosta was just a lowly personnel assistant in Baltimore and Priest Holmes an undrafted free agent running back who’d spent much of his college career at Texas behind Ricky Williams. While Williams went on to win the Heisman Trophy and be selected fifth overall by the New Orleans Saints in 1999, Holmes had gone undrafted in 1997. Holmes signed with the Ravens, topped 1,000 rushing yards after winning the starting job in his second year and went on to star for the Kansas City Chiefs, where he was a three-time All-Pro and twice led the NFL in rushing touchdowns and in 2001 led the league in rushing yards. Ravens safety Reuben Lowery speaks with the media after practice Wednesday. Lowery made the team's 53-man roster as an undrafted free agent. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Fast forward to Wednesday, and it’s easy to understand the hopeful retrospection. “We really are just hoping to hit on one guy every year,” DeCosta said of the undrafted free agent class. “We probably had five guys, legitimately, that we thought had a chance to be on this team that were undrafted this year. “So, it was a great year.” Time will tell, but Higgins, Martin and Lowery understandably fell into the general manager’s arms for a warm if not relieved embrace when DeCosta delivered the news in his office Tuesday afternoon. “I had a long night last night!” Higgins said before doubling over. “Heart racing man!” said Martin, smile stretched wide, head back, when DeCosta asked if he was nervous. The emotion from each of their parents was even more palpable when they phoned them to let them know the news. Related Articles Josh Tolentino: Ravens’ Kyle Hamilton a rare player worth rare price | COMMENTARY Ravens roster: Beau Brade, Jalyn Armour-Davis claimed by new teams; Tyler Huntley returns Ravens’ Kyle Hamilton signs extension, becomes NFL’s highest-paid safety Josh Tolentino: Ravens’ special teams is a huge question mark | COMMENTARY Ravens set initial 53-man roster: 3 undrafted rookies make team Higgins’ dad Roy, who became a social media celebrity during his son’s college days, shared the Ravens’ video of the exchange on the family group text. Martin’s mom Kimarya exclaimed, “Yes! Oh my God!” Lowery’s father Reuben II started calling family members. Their ascendence was also validating, to them when no other teams called, and to the Ravens when they did. “We didn’t expect it for sure,” DeCosta said. “I think these guys, just when you think about the games, I mean you look at those guys and look at what they did, the production, the big plays and just the consistency. How could they not be on the team? “It just became abundantly clear that these were talented players that for whatever reason were overlooked by the entire league, including us, and deserved to be on teams and who can help us be our best.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

The Ravens just reset the NFL’s safety market because Kyle Hamilton doesn’t play safety. He plays everywhere. On Wednesday, Baltimore awarded their 24-year-old defensive Swiss Army knife a four-year contract extension worth up to $100.4 million, including a record-setting $82 million in guaranteed salary. It’s the richest deal in NFL history for a safety — except Hamilton continues to defy that label. This deal isn’t about a massive payday, either. It’s an acknowledgement of the matchup nightmare who helps define Zach Orr’s defense. Line Hamilton up over a slot receiver, and the route tree suddenly shrinks. Drop him deep, and he covers the field with range, capable of erasing throws over the middle and making quarterbacks think twice. He’s one of the Ravens’ best tacklers, and when Hamilton rushes, he can dismantle an entire play. Guards can’t square him up cleanly near the line of scrimmage, while running backs struggle to block or chip him in blitz pickup. No matter the defensive package, Hamilton represents a headache for every offensive coordinator in the league. That’s the type of luxury Baltimore wasn’t about to let slip. His annual average ($25.1 million) tops Detroit safety Kerby Joseph, who earlier this summer signed a four-year deal worth $21.5 million annually. Hamilton’s guaranteed money also clears Antoine Winfield Jr.’s previous benchmark for NFL safeties. The Buccaneers star signed a four-year deal with $45 million guaranteed in May 2024. Hamilton’s $82 million in guaranteed salary nearly doubles that mark. By signing Hamilton to his new deal with less than two weeks until the regular season opener at Buffalo, the Ravens shattered the safety market. General manager Eric DeCosta was blunt about the timing of negotiations. Talks between the Ravens and Hamilton’s reps “started to heat up about three weeks ago,” DeCosta said, adding that making Hamilton the league’s highest-paid safety “is a responsibility we don’t take lightly.” Translation: Baltimore knows what it has and wasn’t about to risk losing it. Hamilton’s resume already shows a player that’s earned every penny. Across three seasons, the two-time Pro Bowl and two-time All-Pro selection has totaled 250 tackles, seven sacks, five interceptions and four forced fumbles. Pro Football Focus regularly grades Hamilton among the league’s top safeties, particularly in box coverage. Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said making Kyle Hamilton the league's highest-paid safety “is a responsibility we don’t take lightly.” (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Hamilton’s rise hasn’t come without setbacks. He sprained his knee as a rookie in 2022. Last year, he battled ankle, knee and back issues. This summer, Hamilton missed several practices because of a hamstring issue that feels more precautionary than serious. The injuries have raised some questions about his durability. Baltimore’s bet is that his uniqueness and availability will align over the next half-decade. And to Hamilton’s credit, he’s played in 48 of a potential 51 regular-season games. Roughly 90 minutes after putting pen to paper Wednesday afternoon, Hamilton stepped outside at Under Armour Performance Center to field questions about his record-setting deal. Sporting a black hoodie and gray sweats, he was calm and measured. “It’s crazy, it’s a dream come true,” he said. Minutes later, his tone sharpened. “Super Bowl,” Hamilton added. “I want to get greedy with that.” Related Articles Ravens roster: Beau Brade, Jalyn Armour-Davis claimed by new teams; Tyler Huntley returns Ravens’ Kyle Hamilton signs extension, becomes NFL’s highest-paid safety Josh Tolentino: Ravens’ special teams is a huge question mark | COMMENTARY Ravens set initial 53-man roster: 3 undrafted rookies make team The Ravens cut DBs Jalyn Armour-Davis, Beau Brade. Here’s who else didn’t make it. That hunger is rooted in the football journey. Hamilton slipped to No. 14 in the 2022 draft, a tumble many analysts chalked up to positional value and less-than-ideal testing numbers at the NFL scouting combine. Hamilton never worried like some of his family and peers. He can still recall the amount of chatter surrounding him on draft night. “A lot of people around me were more upset than I was,” he said. “I always believed … I ended up in the right place.” Asked about following in the footsteps of Ravens legends like Ed Reed and Ray Lewis, Hamilton didn’t bite on the comparison. He acknowledged the high standard those franchise icons set while making clear he’s focused on building his own legacy in Baltimore. Hamilton represents a rare defender who can erase tight ends, chase down slot receivers or crash the pocket with his unique frame and build. He’s a pass rusher, nickel corner, linebacker and sure tackler molded into one rising defensive superstar. Call him a safety if you want, but the Ravens just paid Hamilton to be much more. Have a news tip? Contact Josh Tolentino at jtolentino@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200, x.com/JCTSports and instagram.com/JCTSports. View the full article

For the first time in his football career, Beau Brade is leaving the state of Maryland. The recently waived Ravens safety was claimed off waivers by the New York Giants on Wednesday. Baltimore general manager Eric DeCosta said that the team had hoped to retain Brade on the practice squad, calling his release a reflection of the Ravens’ depth at defensive back. “I thought Beau did a great job,” DeCosta said. “We’d love to have him on the practice squad.” Brade, a second-year safety out of the University of Maryland, appeared in 11 games last season, primarily on special teams. He entered training camp with a chance to compete for the Ravens’ third safety spot, but undrafted rookie defensive backs Reuben Lowery and Keyon Martin ultimately made the 53-man roster ahead of him. A standout at River Hill High School in Clarksville, Brade was a four-time All-County selection and a starter during his entire high school career. He went on to star as a Terp, finishing his college career with 177 tackles and three interceptions. Fellow defensive back Jalyn Armour-Davis was also claimed Wednesday by the Titans. Tennessee held the top waiver priority after finishing 3-14 last season and made Armour-Davis the first player claimed league-wide. The Alabama product was considered one of the Ravens’ more surprising cuts, having impressed during training camp and preseason. He capped a strong offseason with an interception against the Washington Commanders in Baltimore’s final preseason game. Armour-Davis being in the last year of his contract played a role in him being released, DeCosta said. “That’s a tough one,” DeCosta said. “We agonized about it.” Injuries have held Armour-Davis back during his four years in the NFL. If he stays healthy, he’ll have a chance to make an impact for a Titans defense that allowed the least amount of passing yards in the league last year. Tennessee also claimed defensive end C.J. Ravenell. Last year, Ravenell impressed in training camp and was signed to the practice squad, but Baltimore was unable to hold onto the Missouri Western product this season. This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Jane at sjane@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/Sam_Jane230. Related Articles Ravens’ Kyle Hamilton signs 4-year extension, becomes NFL’s highest-paid safety Josh Tolentino: Ravens’ special teams is a huge question mark | COMMENTARY Ravens set initial 53-man roster: 3 undrafted rookies make team The Ravens cut DBs Jalyn Armour-Davis, Beau Brade. Here’s who else didn’t make it. Watch ‘Overtime’ of the Bmore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law View the full article

The Ravens signed a four-year extension with All-Pro Kyle Hamilton, general manager Eric DeCosta said Wednesday afternoon. The deal is worth $100.4 million with $82 million guaranteed, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation, making the 24-year-old the highest-paid safety in the NFL. DeCosta said talks on the deal began right before players broke for the offseason in June, but the negotiations picked up steam about three weeks ago. “This deal speaks to how we feel about Kyle,” DeCosta said. He referred to Hamilton as a “unicorn” who was able to help Baltimore’s defense place guys in different positions last season. In 2023, Hamilton was at his best roaming around the defense and particularly lining up closer to the line of scrimmage. Last year’s Ravens weren’t afforded that kind of flexibility while spending much of the season shuffling to find a consistent back-end partner. The addition of first-round pick Malaki Starks and cornerback Jaime Alexander should help Baltimore’s secondary be more malleable, which plays to Hamilton’s advantage. “Anytime you can get one of your very best players and get them to sign a long-term extension, I think it’s a great thing,” DeCosta said. He later called it “an important distinction” to be the highest-paid player at his position, but Hamilton “has proven he’s going to carry that very well.” Hamilton was the 14th pick in the 2022 draft out of Notre Dame. He was a first-team All-Pro in 2023 and a second-team All-Pro last season. For his career, he has five interceptions, seven sacks and four forced fumbles. “I think guys like Kyle and some guys that were here before Kyle, guys like Ed [Reed], per se, they pick up the defense so fast,” senior secondary coach Chuck Pagano said this week. “He’s one step ahead. And so, like ‘Eddie’, you just don’t fall into 63 or 64 interceptions and get a gold jacket, right? Everybody was like, ‘How does he do it?’ It’s preparation. Behind the scenes, Kyle prepares as good as anybody. He watches a ton of film, so he’s got almost every play kind of whittled down to one or two plays in every situation, so it gives him a chance to make plays.” This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. Related Articles Josh Tolentino: Ravens’ special teams is a huge question mark | COMMENTARY Ravens set initial 53-man roster: 3 undrafted rookies make team The Ravens cut DBs Jalyn Armour-Davis, Beau Brade. Here’s who else didn’t make it. Watch ‘Overtime’ of the Bmore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law Watch Episode 1 of the BMore Football Podcast with Jerry Coleman and The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston View the full article

The Ravens don’t carry too many mysteries into the 2025 season. Two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson leads a loaded offense that set several franchise records in 2024. Second-year coordinator Zach Orr oversees a defense with All-Pro caliber talent across all three levels. Special teams, though? That’s where the flashlight beam wobbles. Once a consistent strength, Baltimore’s third phase is now its biggest variable. Rookie kicker Tyler Loop has never attempted an NFL kick in a game that mattered. Punter Jordan Stout, a 2022 fourth-round draft pick, has flashed ability but still hasn’t delivered week-to-week consistency. And rookie LaJohntay Wester, an electric talent from the University of Colorado, might be asked to step into one of the NFL’s most unforgiving jobs as Baltimore’s primary punt returner. Sure, the upside is there. The danger also is obvious. Special teams could push Baltimore toward the AFC’s No. 1 seed or drag it out of the postseason before February arrives. That possibility feels uneasy for a John Harbaugh-coached team. Harbaugh cut his teeth on special teams, leading the Philadelphia Eagles’ unit for nearly a decade (1998 to 2007) before taking over in Baltimore in 2008. For a majority of Harbaugh’s tenure, the Ravens have leaned on that edge and turned in franchise greats. Former kicker Justin Tucker made three points automatic, while former punter Sam Koch concluded his career as the longest-tenured player in franchise history. But last season severely dented Baltimore’s reputation. Related Articles Ravens set initial 53-man roster: 3 undrafted rookies make team The Ravens cut DBs Jalyn Armour-Davis, Beau Brade. Here’s who else didn’t make it. Watch ‘Overtime’ of the Bmore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law Watch Episode 1 of the BMore Football Podcast with Jerry Coleman and The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston Ravens’ Jaire Alexander expected to return next week: It’s a ‘long season’ Tucker suffered the worst season of his storied 13-year career. He missed eight field goal attempts, including two kicks in a two-point loss at Pittsburgh, and infamously had a nightmare outing against the Eagles with three missed kicks in a six-point defeat to the eventual Super Bowl champions at M&T Bank Stadium. His offseason was even more tumultuous, and Baltimore released Tucker in May. The Ravens’ return game last season was equally shaky, as Baltimore cycled through four returners and several muffed punts. In turn, Harbaugh has spent much of the summer hammering the need for “punt catchers.” History makes the team’s recent inconsistency sting a bit more. Both of Baltimore’s Super Bowl runs featured dangerous return men: Jermaine Lewis, who returned a kickoff for a touchdown in Super Bowl XXXV, and the late Jacoby Jones, whose 109-yard return in Super Bowl XLVII remains one of the most iconic plays in franchise history. Baltimore’s most memorable teams often had elite returners. Will one of the most talented rosters in Ravens history follow suit? Loop, a sixth-round pick out of Arizona, brings talent, but how will it translate in December winds in Pittsburgh or Green Bay? Earlier this week, senior special teams coach Randy Brown called Baltimore “the NFL’s toughest stadium” for kickers. Following Tucker’s footsteps is a tall task for any rookie kicker, but the Ravens hope that Loop can establish his own legacy. Loop passed the preseason test, making 9 of 11 field goal attempts (81.8%), including 5 of 6 from 50-plus. His longest make was from 61 yards at Northwest Stadium. Loop also converted all eight of his extra point attempts. Stout was drafted with a Day 2 pick three seasons ago to flip fields with hang time and accuracy. He’s shown glimpses, but hasn’t been consistent; he was listed 19th in Puntalytics’ annual rankings. Stout will also handle holding duties for Loop — “noon balls,” as Brown describes them, that must be placed “on a dime,” in “less than 1.3 seconds.” Wester is the wild card. Ravens rookie LaJohntay Wester returned a punt for a touchdown in his preseason debut, but securing the ball might be more important than anything. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) The rookie sixth-round pick boasts twitch and vision, a pair of skills that make him dangerous every time he touches the ball. His preseason punt return for a touchdown showed his potential, but the NFL presents a different beast compared with college. Wester, who grew up idolizing Devin Hester, the only primary return specialist to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, must think, “How can I utilize my game-changing speed in the right spots?” Harbaugh’s message has been clear: Ball security comes before splash. One muffed punt can undo months of progress. If Wester can combine safety with the occasional burst, he could tilt games — and maybe the AFC race. Special teams coordinator Chris Horton doesn’t need the league’s top-ranked unit. Rather, competence should be the floor, while a plus special teams group could be the factor that pushes Baltimore over the top. The flipside is dangerous. Shanked footballs linger longer than punts inside the 20. Muffed returns ignite instant social media outrage. And in the playoffs, a premium stage this roster is built to compete on, the outcome shrinks to a handful of plays. If Baltimore’s special teams falter at the wrong moment, it won’t matter how many yards the offense stacked or how many goal-line stops the defense made earlier in the season. General manager Eric DeCosta and Harbaugh have earned the right to expect stellar performances from the offense and defense. However, special teams lingers as one of the Ravens’ most intriguing subplots. With roughly two weeks until the highly anticipated season opener at Buffalo, the jury is still out. For a franchise that used to dominate this phase, that feels like a nervous reality. But if the third phase stabilizes and Wester and Loop can help solve this mystery, Baltimore boasts a heavyweight roster capable of competing in February. Have a news tip? Contact Josh Tolentino at jtolentino@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200, x.com/JCTSports and instagram.com/JCTSports. Punter/holder Jordan Stout, left, has been inconsistent in his first few seasons with the Ravens while kicker Tyler Loop, right, is just a rookie. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) View the full article