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No Ravens starters appeared on the final injury report for Thursday night’s season opener, with Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown the only key player on either side declared out for the rematch of last season’s AFC championship game. Ravens rookie running back Rasheen Ali was listed as doubtful after a neck injury limited him in practice all week. Veteran John Kelly is the top candidate to be elevated from the team’s practice squad to serve as No. 3 running back behind Derrick Henry and Justice Hill. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s Ravens mailbag: Answering questions about pass rush, coordinators and more | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Chiefs scouting report for Week 1: Who has the edge? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Chiefs season opener a ‘tone-setter’ that ‘everybody is going to be watching’ Baltimore Ravens | How waves and a bridge help Ravens coach John Harbaugh juggle grief and football Baltimore Ravens | Ravens WR Zay Flowers put in the offseason work that could turn into breakout season Rookie edge rusher Adisa Isaac, who has not practiced since the team’s second preseason game because of a hamstring injury, was the only Raven listed as out for the opener in Kansas City. Brown, the former Ravens pass catcher who signed a one-year deal with the defending Super Bowl champions in the offseason, has been dealing with a shoulder injury. Chiefs coach Andy Reid had already said he was unlikely to face his former team. Kansas City listed eight other players, including All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones, on its injury report, but all were full practice participants throughout the week, and none carry an injury status for the game. View the full article

Baltimore Sun columnist Mike Preston will answer fans’ questions throughout the Ravens season. Baltimore begins its season Thursday night against the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Here’s Preston’s take: (Editor’s note: Questions have been edited for length and clarity.) There is an agreement among fans and pundits that the offensive line will be the biggest question mark for the Ravens this season. Which position group will have the second most “make or break” influence on this year? — zot on X It will be the edge rushers or outside linebackers. Neither Odafe Oweh nor David Ojabo are proven, and in recent years the Ravens have shown they can’t win without a strong pass rush from the outside. Nnamdi Madubuike had a team-leading 13 sacks a year ago, so they’ll get good pressure up the middle. Outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy had nine sacks last season, but he’ll have to play without Jadeveon Clowney, who had 9 1/2 sacks but is now with the Carolina Panthers. Both Oweh and Ojabo played well in college, but they haven’t played their best games in the NFL yet. The Ravens are hoping the young group rises to the occasion along with outside linebacker Tavius Robinson, a second-year player out of Mississippi. Two questions: 1. Ben Cleveland seemed to have played well at right guard last season. In your eyes, is he a backup at this point? 2. What are your thoughts on Travis Jones? People seemed high on him as a rookie, but it seems like there’s little excitement today. — Words of Josh on X Jones has played well in training camp, but he was pushed around in preseason games. I was disappointed with his performance, but the Ravens are in a modest rebuild with young players. The 2022 third-round draft pick has great size at 6 feet 4 and 338 pounds, but Jones is in Year 3, so it’s time for him to step up. Cleveland has great size and is a space eater as a run blocker, but his pass blocking has always been suspect. He has gotten better through the years. I think he is a good stop-gap player, but not a full-time starter in the NFL. We can expect some regression on defense from last year because of lost players and coordinator Zach Orr’s debut. On the other hand, it is Year 2 for Todd Monken’s offense and the Ravens added Derrick Henry. Which will have a bigger impact this season? — zot on X I’ve been impressed with Monken’s offense so far in training camp. I can’t go into detail, but I’ve seen some good stuff. With both Monken and quarterback Lamar Jackson entering a second season, I think things will be a lot smoother. I hope Monken gets on Jackson more this season because coach John Harbaugh coddles Jackson too much and I think that has been a problem since Day 1. Monken, on the other hand, appears to get on everyone, even though both coaches should have been harder on Jackson in the AFC championship game. As for Orr, I don’t know what to expect and who he will listen to the most, Harbaugh or the players. One thing for sure, he is one of the most well-liked coaches that has ever walked through The Castle. He is well-respected by everyone. Almost anyone you speak with expects him to be a head coach one day, and that’s sooner than later. It is always exciting when a new season starts, but I am concerned that the Ravens will regress this season. Will they win the division again? — Yaye Essayas I think the Ravens win the AFC North. It’s a quarterback-driven league, and the Ravens return Jackson, who won his second NFL Most Valuable Player Award in 2023. Both Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow and Cleveland’s Deshaun Watson are attempting to come back from injuries and no one knows for sure how Russell Wilson will fit into the Pittsburgh offense. By the end of last season, the Ravens had the best team in the NFL. But they panicked offensively in the AFC championship game and have a lot of young players who need to step up this season. The key will be getting off to a strong start because the second half of the schedule is brutal with all those games played in a short amount of time. But just like most teams in the NFL, the Ravens have a shot. They just have to stay healthy and get hot at the right time like Kansas City did a year ago. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Chiefs scouting report for Week 1: Who has the edge? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Chiefs season opener a ‘tone-setter’ that ‘everybody is going to be watching’ Baltimore Ravens | How waves and a bridge help Ravens coach John Harbaugh juggle grief and football Baltimore Ravens | Ravens WR Zay Flowers put in the offseason work that could turn into breakout season Baltimore Ravens | Super Bowl or bust? Lamar Jackson’s Ravens know no one remembers the runner-up. In your opinion, what’s the worst scenario for a pro player? The MLB, NHL or NBA trade deadline or NFL cutdown day? My money’s on the NFL. The other leagues have minor league affiliates and overseas options, whereas lots of NFL players have nowhere to go besides home. — Ed Helinski Sorry, Ed, when you are playing a sport at the highest level there is no worst scenario. Players waived by NFL teams have several options around the league, or they can continue to play on the semi-pro level or in Canada. Regardless, none of the players cut from any of the major leagues make those big salaries, but that’s the risk for anyone attempting to play pro sports. It’s the dream world. Some players make it, some don’t. It’s great to dream big, but the reality for most of these guys, especially coming from small colleges in football, is in the back of their minds. Of the sports you mentioned, the NFL is the toughest. Have a question for Mike Preston? Email sports@baltsun.com with “Ravens mailbag” in the subject line and it could be answered in The Baltimore Sun. View the full article

The Chiefs won the Super Bowl, 25-22, over the San Francisco 49ers. The Ravens lost to Kansas City, 17-10, in the AFC championship game. Who will have the advantage when these AFC powers meet Thursday night in the NFL season opener? Ravens passing game vs. Chiefs pass defense Lamar Jackson won his second NFL Most Valuable Player Award in 2023, completing 67.2% of his passes for 3,678 yards and 24 touchdowns with just seven interceptions. As in Jackson’s other MVP season, the Ravens ranked low in total passing (21st) but high in efficiency (fifth in yards per attempt and pass DVOA). Jackson will work with a familiar set of targets, led by tight ends Mark Andrews (45 receptions, six touchdowns in just 10 games) and Isaiah Likely and wide receivers Zay Flowers (team-high 77 catches for 858 yards as a rookie) and Rashod Bateman. Of particular interest will be offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s efforts to scheme up production for Andrews and Likely when they’re on the field together and the state of Jackson’s chemistry with Bateman, who was open far more than he saw the ball last year. Jackson’s protection will also be worth watching with three new starters on the offensive line. Coach John Harbaugh has not announced his lineup, but Daniel Faalele and Andrew Vorhees are expected to step in for Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson at right and left guard, respectively, with Patrick Mekari and rookie Roger Rosengarten competing to replace Morgan Moses at right tackle. The Ravens will face a Chiefs defense that held them in check for most of the AFC championship game, sacking Jackson four times and picking him off once. Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s group, led by All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie and All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones, excelled at bringing pressure and preventing chunk plays throughout last season, ranking fifth in DVOA against the pass. Spagnuolo will stress Ravens blockers by sending extra rushers from all directions. He’ll need to, because much of his secondary is shaky. Kansas City traded starting cornerback L’Jarius Sneed in the offseason and struggled to find a good replacement this summer. Safeties Justin Reid and Bryan Cook will also be vulnerable if Jackson has time to probe. EDGE: Chiefs Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce pulls in a pass for a touchdown as Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton defends during the AFC championship game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff) Chiefs passing game vs. Ravens pass defense Patrick Mahomes solidified his position as the best player in football by leading a team that had struggled (relatively speaking) for much of the regular season to a third Super Bowl win in five years. The Chiefs ranked just eighth in pass DVOA and did not have a single pass catcher exceed 1,000 yards. But tight end Travis Kelce and No. 1 wide receiver Rashee Rice stepped up to catch 19 of 20 balls thrown their way in the AFC championship game win over the Ravens. Though Kelce’s production slipped last season, his sixth-sense connection with Mahomes remains unmatched, and he’s dangerous when Kansas City needs a clutch third down. The Chiefs upgraded Mahomes’ targets in the offseason, signing former Ravens wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown (not expected to play in the opener because of a shoulder injury) and using a first-round pick on Texas receiver Xavier Worthy, who might challenge former Chief Tyreek Hill’s status as the NFL’s fastest playmaker. Kansas City’s offensive line, led by Pro Bowl center Creed Humphrey, is solid but will rely on a rookie left tackle in second-round pick Kingsley Suamataia. Mahomes will test a Baltimore pass defense that ranked first in DVOA, allowed just 4.7 yards per attempt and picked off 18 balls last season. The Ravens lost their most productive edge rusher in Jadeveon Clowney but re-signed breakout interior rusher Justin Madubuike (team-high 13 sacks and 33 quarterback hits) and will depend on a deep secondary led by All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton and rounded out by a potential shutdown cornerback in first-round pick Nate Wiggins. First-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr, who’s replacing his friend and mentor Mike Macdonald, will jump into the fire against the most creative quarterback in football and one of the game’s greatest offensive minds in Chiefs coach Andy Reid. EDGE: Even Ravens running game vs. Chiefs run defense We’ll get our first look at Derrick Henry, the most productive running back of the last decade, playing off Jackson in a ground game that ranked first in DVOA last season. The Ravens said goodbye to their top short-yardage threat in Gus Edwards and oft-injured J.K. Dobbins in favor of the 30-year-old Henry, who averaged 4.2 yards per carry and scored 12 touchdowns for the struggling Tennessee Titans last year. The change will require adjustments from both sides as Henry will likely be asked to carry out of shotgun formations and take mesh option handoffs more than he ever was in Tennessee. But the idea of his speed and power complementing Jackson’s elite (821 yards, 5.5 yards per carry in 2023) elusiveness is tantalizing. Justice Hill (4.6 yards per carry in 2023) will serve as the change of pace. If the team’s young offensive line struggles out of the gate, it might be here more than in pass protection if what we saw in the preseason was any indication. The Ravens will face a Kansas City defense that ranked just 27th in DVOA against the run last year. Linebackers Nick Bolton and Leo Chenal are solid in the middle, but Jones was merely a decent run stuffer while fellow defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi struggled. The Ravens famously failed to take advantage of this relative weakness in the AFC championship game, attempting just 16 runs for 81 yards. EDGE: Ravens Chiefs running game vs. Ravens run defense The Chiefs return Isiah Pacheco (935 yards, 4.6 per carry in 2023) as their primary ground option. He carried 24 times for just 68 yards in the AFC championship game. The Chiefs don’t design many runs for Mahomes (389 yards, 5.2 per carry in 2023), but he remains a dangerous scrambler, especially when they need a clutch third down. The Ravens, led by All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith and a seasoned defensive line, ranked seventh in rush DVOA last season and held the Chiefs to 2.8 yards per carry in the AFC championship game. They did make a major change at the other inside linebacker spot, letting Pro Bowl selection Patrick Queen leave in free agency and replacing him with 2023 third-round pick Trenton Simpson, who played just 46 defensive snaps as a rookie. Simpson has all the tools to succeed, but don’t be surprised if the Chiefs pick on him in his first start. EDGE: Ravens Ravens special teams vs. Chiefs special teams The Ravens ranked third and the Chiefs sixth in special teams DVOA last season, and this game will match up perhaps the two best kickers in the world in Justin Tucker (32 of 37 on field goal attempts in 2023) and Kansas City’s Harrison Butker (33 of 35, including 5 of 5 from 50 yards or beyond, in 2023). The league’s new kickoff rules will present a wild card for both teams, with the Ravens also turning to a new primary returner in 2019 Pro Bowl selection Deonte Harty. The speedy rookie Worthy could be a weapon for the Chiefs on punt returns. EDGE: Even Ravens intangibles vs. Chiefs intangibles It’s difficult to argue the Chiefs don’t have the Ravens’ number after they upset the AFC’s No. 1 seed at M&T Bank Stadium with a Super Bowl trip on the line. Kansas City has won four of five meetings in the Jackson-Mahomes era, with the Ravens’ lone victory coming in a 36-35 thriller in 2021. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s Ravens mailbag: Answering questions about pass rush, coordinators and more | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Chiefs season opener a ‘tone-setter’ that ‘everybody is going to be watching’ Baltimore Ravens | How waves and a bridge help Ravens coach John Harbaugh juggle grief and football Baltimore Ravens | Ravens WR Zay Flowers put in the offseason work that could turn into breakout season Baltimore Ravens | Super Bowl or bust? Lamar Jackson’s Ravens know no one remembers the runner-up. The Chiefs, aiming for an unprecedented three-peat, will be the AFC’s top dog until someone knocks them off decisively. With Mahomes, they’re never out of any game, and with Reid, their schemes never seem to grow stale for long. The Ravens were the league’s best regular-season team in 2023, but all the confidence they built could not get them over the hump in January. Jackson and Harbaugh face Super Bowl-or-bust expectations, and an opening win in Kansas City isn’t likely to change that. EDGE: Chiefs Prediction Normal rules of quality go out the window with a Thursday night opener. Just look at last season, when the Chiefs dragged their feet through a home loss to the Detroit Lions. The Ravens will be hyped to face their nemesis and seem unlikely to keep their Henry-powered running game in the holster this time around. Mahomes, meanwhile, will start without a full set of targets. The Ravens will pull the upset in a battle that won’t tell us much about what might happen if these teams meet again in January. Ravens 26, Chiefs 24 View the full article

Seven months ago, Derrick Henry was contemplating what might have been. He was three months removed from nearly being traded to the Ravens and thus powerless, a rare feeling for the bruising four-time Pro Bowl running back. But all he could do was watch from afar in January as Baltimore inexplicably handed the ball to its backs just six times against the Chiefs in last season’s AFC championship game at M&T Bank Stadium. Kansas City went on to win that matchup, 17-10, and its third Super Bowl title in five years, while the Ravens were left to ponder what went wrong. “Hell yes, I was wishing I could suit up that day watching that game,” Henry said this week. “But yes, now it’s my turn, so [I have] to take advantage of it. It’s going to be a hell of a game.” And a historic one, too, no matter the outcome. Thursday night’s rematch between the Chiefs and the Ravens will mark the first time that two quarterbacks who have won multiple NFL Most Valuable Player Awards will meet to kick off a season. Lamar Jackson, 27, won the honor in 2019 and again last season after leading Baltimore to the league’s best regular-season record while also posting career highs in passing yards and completion percentage. Patrick Mahomes, 28, was the league’s MVP in 2018 and 2022 and for good measure has been the Super Bowl MVP in each of the Chiefs’ victories. It’s little wonder that the two will meet to open the 2024 slate. “Obviously other teams were considered and lots of permutations of schedules worked their way through the computers, but to land on a K.C.-Baltimore matchup with those MVPs and the opportunity to have that type of elite teams, elite quarterbacks on the field is a great tone-setter to get into the season,” NFL executive vice president of club business, international and league events Peter O’Reilly said. Indeed. A Ravens victory would undoubtedly thrust images of a February Super Bowl celebration in New Orleans (the site of the organization’s last title) into the minds of the fan base. Another defeat would be a crushing nail in the argument that Jackson is not great enough — at least when it comes to beating Mahomes. Neither is true, of course, but it’s been a long seven months for Baltimore in particular. The Ravens have moved on, but they haven’t forgotten. “There’s always carryover, absolutely,” coach John Harbaugh said Tuesday. “There’s carryover for both teams; there’s carryover strategically; there’s carryover for the individual battles that guys are going to have that are still on the team. “I’m not going to try to downplay it, but I don’t want you to think it’s different either. It’s always this way. It’s not anxiety; the word we use is tension. There’s always tension because you want to go out and do well.” And there will be plenty more if the Ravens come out on the losing end again. From left, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, wide receiver Zay Flowers and tight end Isaiah Likely watch a preseason game against the Falcons. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) History, at least, is not on their side. Jackson has a career record of just 1-4 against Mahomes. That includes last season’s conference championship game, in which Jackson completed just 20 of 37 passes for 272 yards with one touchdown, a costly fourth-quarter interception and another turnover on a strip-sack. Mahomes, meanwhile, was mostly surgical, completing 30 of 39 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown with zero turnovers. The two quarterbacks will understandably be at the nexus of the rematch, though interestingly Jackson doesn’t have a relationship with or draw much from his counterpart, though there is mutual respect between the two. “I don’t think I have a relationship with any quarterback in the league,” Jackson said. “I don’t take anything from him, I just play my game. But he’s a great quarterback. I’m going to say that. He’s a great quarterback. He has the accolades to prove it.” Mahomes, meanwhile, understands Jackson’s desire to win. “More than athletic ability and the ability to throw is the way he competes,” Mahomes told reporters Sunday. “He’s a guy that competes every single week. You can tell he cares. You can tell he wants to go out there and win and he wants to put it on his shoulders to take his team to where they can win as many games as possible. “That’s truly what it takes to be a great quarterback in this league. It’s not always about talent.” On that front, the Ravens have their share. In addition to Jackson and Henry, there is second-year wide receiver Zay Flowers and the chemistry he has built with Jackson, the talented but enigmatic Rashod Bateman, a healthy Mark Andrews and burgeoning Isaiah Likely at tight end and, of course, a strong defense. Led by All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton, All-Pro inside linebacker Roquan Smith and Pro Bowl defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, Baltimore was historically dominant last season, becoming the first team to lead the league in sacks, takeaways and points allowed per game. Yet, there has been plenty of turnover, on the roster and amid the coaching staff, with several departures that included, among others, Pro Bowl inside linebacker Patrick Queen, outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney and former defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, now the coach of the Seattle Seahawks. The cupboard isn’t bare, but questions abound. On offense, there are three new starters on the line and uncertainty about the depth at wide receiver. On defense, inside linebacker Trenton Simpson and first-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr are among those who are untested. The Chiefs figure to provide some of the answers as the Ravens’ most difficult test on a schedule full of championship contenders. One of the biggest concerns for Baltimore figures to be managing Kansas City’s blitz, which disrupted Jackson’s rhythm consistently the last time the teams played. “He’s unique in what he does,” Harbaugh said of Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. “[There are a] lot of things that he does, we do, [and] we do that he does, other teams do. And other things that are unique. It’s kind of the way it’s all put together, probably for any coach, when certain blitzes show up, or when coverages show up. He’ll keep it moving on you. He’ll keep you guessing for sure, and that’s one of the great strengths of what Steve does as a defensive play-caller.” But as Jackson said, there were “all types of things we could’ve done better in that game.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s Ravens mailbag: Answering questions about pass rush, coordinators and more | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Chiefs scouting report for Week 1: Who has the edge? Baltimore Ravens | How waves and a bridge help Ravens coach John Harbaugh juggle grief and football Baltimore Ravens | Ravens WR Zay Flowers put in the offseason work that could turn into breakout season Baltimore Ravens | Super Bowl or bust? Lamar Jackson’s Ravens know no one remembers the runner-up. The first chance to atone for those myriad mistakes comes Thursday night in Arrowhead Stadium, where the Chiefs will also celebrate their latest Super Bowl victory. Though the Ravens hope to treat it like any other game and as the first in a series of important ones over the next few months, it will also be revealing — to them and the tens of millions of television viewers at home. “We’ve been talking about it all offseason that last year didn’t end how we want it to, but it gives us perspective on what we need to do to get back to what we did last year and win that game,” Hamilton said. “You can’t ignore the situation [of] who you’re playing against, and you have to respect them at the same time, but I feel like what keeps me playing at my best is going into it like it’s just another game — not getting too high, not getting too low, staying even-keeled and just going out there and playing my game. “Having such a big game like this — everybody is going to be watching — and us having the poise to go out there and hopefully get a win I think will propel us during the year, give us a sense of what we need to do to win a game, what our preparation looks like, what we did right, what we did wrong and from then on, just kind of hit the ground rolling.” View the full article

John Harbaugh often talks to his team about the tranquility of sitting on the beach, simply watching the waves undulate. Some find it boring, he said. The longtime Ravens coach finds it fascinating. And he loves a good metaphor. “They don’t stop,” Harbaugh said. “Sometimes they’re kind of calm, nice and fun. Warm and inviting. Other times they get a little rough and the storm comes in and they can be dangerous. That’s kind of a time analogy.” Before the Ravens travel to Kansas City for their season opener against the Chiefs on Thursday night, Harbaugh waxed poetically about the confluence of juggling football anticipation with grief, having lost two important figures this offseason. Ravens legend and Super Bowl 47 hero Jacoby Jones died suddenly July 14, days before his 40th birthday. And offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris died early morning Aug. 25, less than two weeks after it was announced that he had been hospitalized for an acute illness. The losses of both Jones and D’Alessandris have weighed heavily on the organization. Baltimore announced Tuesday that each players’ helmet will feature a commemorative decal on the backside above their number. The tags, Harbaugh said, serve as a reminder about the people they lost and about making the most of life as they move into the season. “Those waves just keep coming,” Harbaugh said. “You just gotta keep swimming.” He offered another metaphor for the anticipatory feeling of the next wave: a Week 1 clash with the Chiefs, who are chasing the NFL’s first three-peat. Harbaugh didn’t try to downplay the weight of the game. It’s in prime-time, on the road, against the reigning Super Bowl champs. It’s an immediate litmus test for how Baltimore bounces back from a disappointing end to last season. But he called the feeling of heading into the opener “tension,” rather than anxiety. “It’s like a bridge,” he said. “A suspension bridge. Those cables — they have tension to hold that bridge up there and keep everybody safe. There’s tension when you’re lifting weights, there’s tension in your arms [and] in your muscles. There has to be tension. So guys are going to be tense, they’re going to be locked in, they’re going to be focused.” To honor his Nigerian heritage, the Ravens’ star defensive lineman will now be known as Nnamdi Madubuike. (Kim Hairston/Staff) Madubuike name change Justin Madubuike slowly tested the waters before officially changing his name with the NFL. One of the league’s premier defensive lineman recently swapped out his nameplate in the Ravens’ locker room to his Nigerian-given name, Nnamdi Madubuike (pronounced NAHM-dee). He liked the way it looked. Then on Monday, he updated his social media profiles to reflect his preferred name, the one his family used since he was little. And with that, he made it official with the league. “Coming from Nigerian culture, our parents give us like an American name and give us a Nigerian name,” Madubuike told the team’s website. “When we were growing up as little kids, they addressed us as our Nigerian name. So Nnamdi, I believe in my heart, that’s my real name.” Part of Madubuike’s inspiration to go by his Nigerian name came from his teammate, Odafe Oweh, who went by Jayson Oweh until he was drafted in 2021. “Just learning from the older vets and stuff, I keep finding ways to get better every single year. I just started to just keep everything real in terms of my life,” Madubuike said. “After I signed my [four-year, $98 million] contract, I just need to keep doing that. I just felt like when I keep it real, the better player I am, the better man I am.” Injury report The Ravens enter their season opener fairly healthy. Only linebacker Adisa Isaac (hamstring) and running back Rasheen Ali (neck) were listed on the team’s first injury report heading into Kansas City. Isaac missed the start of training camp with two separate offseason hamstring injuries. The third-round draft pick returned for Baltimore’s second preseason game but suffered another similar setback. He was the only missing player from Tuesday’s practice. Ali missed preseason action with a stinger but his limited participation in practice this week indicates the fifth-round draft pick cleared the league’s concussion protocol. View the full article

Zay Flowers raised a few eyebrows when, during his first rookie minicamp with the Ravens, he requested extra leg workouts from the training staff. It was a rare ask for a first-year player, let alone a wide receiver, those in the building said. It was also telling. Despite setting franchise records for most catches (77) and receiving yards (858) by a rookie last season and being one of the best rookie wideouts in the league, the Ravens’ 2023 first-round draft pick spent part of this summer torching his legs by running hills at a former trash dump, Visa View Park in Davie, Florida, not far from where he and his nine brothers and four sisters grew up. He also often worked out five days a week at nearby gym PER4FORM, where he spent about 90 minutes a day under the watchful eye of co-owner and director of programming Zac Cardone. In between, Flowers worked two to three days a week on his shifty footwork and route-running with Tevin Allen (colloquially known on Instagram as Goldfeet) on the same youth field where Flowers’ older brothers once competed against Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. “Zay has always been a grinder,” Cardone, who like Allen has trained Flowers since he was a freshman at NSU University School in Fort Lauderdale, told The Baltimore Sun. “When I trained him in high school, he was always in the top one or two on every rep. That’s continued right throughout. “If Zay’s in town, he’s gonna be getting [a workout] in with me first thing in the morning.” The focus in those sessions is centered around strength and explosiveness and is as detailed and specific as the routes Flowers runs. In doing contrast training — which is when a strength exercise like squats is followed by a power movement such as vertical jumps — Flowers improved his strength and explosive power. Compound sets — pairing two exercises that target different muscle groups with minimal rest in between — shocked his muscles into growth and sent his metabolism into overdrive. And negative reps, or eccentric training, helped create bigger, stronger muscles while making connective tissue such as ligaments and tendons more resilient. Put another way, a typical workout for Flowers, who finished last season at 174 pounds and is now up to 180, looked like this in the offseason: Monday: Lower body explosive day in the weight room and pushing a weighted sled. Tuesday: Upper body explosive day. Wednesday: Recovery and pilates. Thursday: Lower body day functional and hills running. Friday: Upper body functional day. When he wasn’t pushing weights or running hills, Flowers honed his release, routes and separation in workouts with Allen at the Pompano Cowboys’ youth field, where guerrilla style social media videos displayed the quickness and moves that earned him the nickname “Joystick” from Jackson his rookie year. The Ravens’ Zay Flowers signs an autograph before a preseason game against the Packers in Green Bay. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer) Allen, who played at Illinois State, founded Gold Feet Global with his brothers, Tyrie and Junior, in 2014, a few years after getting benched as a sophomore and learning to impersonate Hall of Fame receiver Chad Johnson’s workout videos. That’s when the proverbial light bulb went off, and since then, the trio’s clientele has exploded. Among the receivers they’ve worked with are Deebo Samuel, Ja’Marr Chase, Jaylen Waddle, Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, Elijah Moore and former Raven Marquise “Hollywood” Brown. The group hasn’t been limited to pass catchers, either, with Jackson and fellow quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Tua Tagovailoa all working with them as well. Among the drills Flowers focused on were his get-off at the line of scrimmage, second-level releases, top-of-route releases, downfield throws and option routes. “Every day is something different,” Flowers told The Sun. “A lot of [my ability] is natural from playing backyard ball with my brothers. [Allen] brought it to where I could do it every play, that I could be more consistent with it and I’m more game ready with it.” After a sensational rookie season, though, Flowers says he wants more. “When he comes down here and we can really focus on our program, his explosiveness goes to another level,” Cardone says of Flowers. “When Zay’s legs are strong, he’s just different.” The great separator The metrics of what makes Flowers different, Cardone says, are the results. Last season, his 77 catches ranked third among rookie receivers behind only Los Angeles Rams sensation Puka Nacua and Kansas City Chiefs speedster Rashee Rice. Flowers’ 53.6 yards per game were fourth among rookies behind Nacua, Houston Texans standout Tank Dell and Rice. And his 108 targets tied for second among first-year receivers with Minnesota Vikings first-round pick Jordan Addison. But when it came to separation, no one was better than Flowers. At 57.4%, per FTN Fantasy, he was well ahead of Rice (51%) and Miami Dolphins star Tyreek Hill (50.3%). And his 396 yards after the catch — many of which came on 23 screen passes, the second-most for a rookie in the Pro Football Focus era — ranked 15th among all receivers. “He’s a weapon that they really have not had,” NBC Sports analyst and former NFL receiver Cris Collinsworth said. “This is a team that if Zay is what I think he is, which I think is a very, very special player, and can provide that sort of explosiveness on the outside that they’ve just been waiting for for a long time. … He’s a cornerstone going forward for a really good team.” The next progression for Flowers, naturally, would be downfield. Last season, he averaged a ho-hum 8.56 air yards per reception, good for only 62nd in the league. Of his 77 catches, all but 16 came on passes that were in the air for 5 yards or less. The addition of bruising four-time Pro Bowl running back Derrick Henry and the return of tight ends Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely should help, and Flowers’ face lights up at the prospect of more deep balls. “College, it was all deep balls for me,” Flowers told The Sun, “so running a lot of routes underneath was kind of new to me.” It’s hard to argue his development, however, with Flowers’ 85% success rate against zone defenses, which he saw on 60% of his routes, putting him in the 90th percentile of receivers, per Reception Perception. He also ranked fifth in the NFL with an open-target rate of 89.7%, per PFF. Still, there’s reason to believe that he can and will see more deep throws this season. Flowers’ second-best route last season was the post, which he was successful on 87.5% of the time. Other routes he tortured defenses on included comebacks (100%) and digs (86.8%). There is, of course, also a greeter grasp of the offense and his budding relationship with Jackson. “You can see that with players as they gain experience — they ask questions, have ideas, have thoughts,” Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken said. “Like, ‘Can we do it this way? What about this? What about this?’ When you’re younger, you’re just trying to learn it — it’s hard to be engaged when you’re not sure yourself. That’s where he’s really come a long way.” Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, left, knocks the ball loose from Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers at the 1-yard line in the fourth quarter of the AFC championship game. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) In Zay he trusts After Flowers’ costly fourth-quarter fumble at the goal line against the Chiefs in last season’s AFC championship loss, one of the first people to reach out to Flowers was Jackson. The quarterback texted Flowers to let him know that everyone makes mistakes. He then visited Flowers at his house the next two days to further console him. “I know how important it is to him — that moment, how important it is to all of us and how people would be about what went on during the game,” said Jackson, who added that Flowers is like a little brother to him. “But all of us play a part — it’s a team sport at the end of the day, and I was letting him know that.” Months later, in the hot South Florida sun, the two moved forward from that devastating moment in a constructive way, working out together on the same field Jackson once dazzled on as a young boy while also spending time together other off of it. Flowers told The Sun that they worked on timing and adding moves to the top of his routes, as well as things that Jackson likes from his receivers. Though neither played in the preseason, their chemistry was obvious throughout training camp. “I’m seeing him attack the ball, [and] I’m seeing him when the cornerback has outside leverage on an out-breaking route; he’s dropping him, and he’s winning,” Jackson said. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Super Bowl or bust? Lamar Jackson’s Ravens know no one remembers the runner-up. Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Chiefs injury report: Rookie Adisa Isaac only player to miss practice Monday Baltimore Ravens | How Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton’s golf obsession helps fuel his All-Pro football game Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Ravens have to prove they’re still one of the best at developing talent | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens Q&A with Zach Orr on his playing career, family, becoming a coach and more The time together also allowed Flowers to move forward from what was a tumultuous offseason that included being investigated over an alleged domestic incident earlier this year. Baltimore County Police suspended the investigation in February with no charges, and the NFL later concluded that there was “insufficient evidence” on whether Flowers violated the league’s personal conduct policy. In the wake of the alleged incident, Flowers said he wanted to focus on being a “better person” and to build his reputation in the Baltimore community, particularly with kids. Though he declined to discuss what happened at the time, he reiterated his desire to have an impact off the field. “It’s always been important,” he told The Sun. “Before the situation even happened, I was doing stuff in the community. I’m just gonna stay the person I am and do what I do.” With the 2024 season upon him, that includes being one of the most talented and impactful young receivers in the game. “He’s had my trust,” Jackson said. “[With] him catching the ball and doing what he does, that’s all a quarterback wants.” View the full article

It felt as if the previous four months simply had not happened. Lamar Jackson’s second NFL Most Valuable Player season? December maulings of the San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins? A sense that, finally, they were the league’s best? Poof — gone. Replaced by another crushing disappointment against the inevitable Kansas City Chiefs, by the acid aftertaste of another monumental game in which the Ravens failed to put their best foot forward. There’s always next year? Baltimore football fans no longer wanted to hear it. After the Ravens’ 17-10 loss in the AFC championship game, their outlook turned unforgiving. Brilliant regular seasons would no longer suffice. The home team could only erase their skepticism by taking the final step to the Super Bowl. Eight months later, with a new season set to begin Thursday night against those same Chiefs, the Ravens find themselves living in that zero-sum reality. They have to win enough games to reach the postseason, but they can’t change hearts and minds with anything they do over the next four months. It’s a tricky line for players and coaches to walk. They, too, see the Super Bowl as their one, true measuring stick, but they won’t have a chance to reach it if they don’t hone in on the mundane toils of each football week. The end of the story might be everything, but they can’t skip to it. “We have to win regular-season games to get to January,” Jackson said. “We can’t just go into the season and go 5-12, because then we’re not going to be in the playoffs. We have to go into every game trying to make the playoffs. Playoffs are on our mind, but at the same time, we have to win this game that’s ahead of us.” That from the man who threw down the Super Bowl gauntlet for himself the night the Ravens drafted him in 2018. Those words rolled easily off the tongue of a 21-year-old who had won the Heisman Trophy and captured the imagination of college football fans around the world while at Louisville. The 27-year-old version of Jackson has taken more bruises, existing at the center of national sports discourse that says you can’t be one of the true greats without a ring. At times, this mindset sucks the joy out of games and seasons, not to mention that it ignores the sheer difficulty of becoming the last team standing. Are we living in the sports world we want when a 13-4 season is remembered as a failure? “Just to make it to the championship game in the AFC, I mean, think about what that’s going to mean this year,” said NBC Sports analyst Cris Collinsworth, who will help call the Ravens-Chiefs opener. “Everybody is going to pencil these two teams back into the championship game. They played so well. But who doesn’t have a chance? Bills, Dolphins, Jets for sure. Bengals, Ravens, I don’t know what the Steelers are going to do, Browns for sure. Texans, what they did. Chiefs, Chargers now with [Jim] Harbaugh out there. It’s just really hard.” “You understand it from the fans because this has been such a sustained, very good football team and they want to see the trophy that comes with it — and it hasn’t come,” Collinsworth’s broadcast partner, Mike Tirico, said. “I understand the fans being restless about trying to get back there, but I think those players know full well, as Cris detailed, how many good teams you’ve got to play to get from Week 1 to the last Sunday of the AFC season and the conference championship game. It’s very hard to get back and shouldn’t be underappreciated how difficult that task is going to be.” Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said of the notion anything but a Super Bowl would be considered a failure, “I am proud of our team — what we’ve accomplished. We haven’t accomplished our ultimate goal, but I don’t really subscribe to the idea that your season is a failure if you don’t win the Super Bowl.” (Kevin Richardson/Staff) The Ravens aim never to endure a rebuilding downturn, at least not as long as they have one of the league’s elite quarterbacks on their roster and his $260 million contract on their balance sheet. They take cost-saving risks such as going with a young, overhauled offensive line this season, but winning big is the goal. Does that mean a Lombardi Trophy is the only stamp of success for those who assemble the team? General manager Eric DeCosta thinks back over the best teams in Ravens history, and perhaps four of the top five — 2006, 2011, 2019 and 2023 — did not make it to the final game. The 2000 Super Bowl champions did it with a below-average offense. In 2012, the Ravens bumped along for four months, not hitting their stride until the games mattered most. “It’s an excellent question,” DeCosta said when asked how he judges a season. “My goal is to build a team that has talent at every position, that is flexible enough to withstand injuries, that we have depth to get us through a long season and to make the playoffs and to be sort of ascending at that point. I think we’ve maybe had the best record twice in the last five years, and we didn’t make it to the end; that’s tough. But I am proud of our team — what we’ve accomplished. We haven’t accomplished our ultimate goal, but I don’t really subscribe to the idea that your season is a failure if you don’t win the Super Bowl; I know a lot of people do. If I did that, I’d probably be in a mental institution.” In some sense, elite athletes have had to balance this all-or-nothing mentality most of their lives. They wouldn’t be where they are if not driven by bold visions, but they often need to shut out big-picture thoughts and emotions to focus on perfecting the next practice rep or knowing the next opponent’s defense like it’s second nature. The regular season might not matter to fans or pundits, but it has to matter to them. “I think each and every guy’s goal — and ours as a team — should be to make the Super Bowl,” Ravens All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith said. “But there is a process in place, and you have to respect the process, and I’m a firm believer in respecting the process. So, it starts with Week 1. Kansas City is in our way for what exactly we want to do, and I’m sure, from their eyes, we’re in their way.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens WR Zay Flowers put in the offseason work that could turn into breakout season Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Chiefs injury report: Rookie Adisa Isaac only player to miss practice Monday Baltimore Ravens | How Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton’s golf obsession helps fuel his All-Pro football game Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Ravens have to prove they’re still one of the best at developing talent | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens Q&A with Zach Orr on his playing career, family, becoming a coach and more Smith’s ritual of sprinting out to practice every day is his physical demonstration of respecting the process. Of course, the Ravens thought they had clocked into the right head space last year, when they entered the postseason as calmly and professionally as a team could. And still the Chiefs seemed more prepared on that final Sunday in January. One lost day defined a season. More than that, the 2024 Ravens know they will be judged by the same harsh standard this time around. “Nobody remembers the AFC championship runner-up from 10 years ago,” All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton said. “We’re trying to be that team that everybody remembers won the Super Bowl. So, we lost — it is what it is — [we] had a good year, but we have to do it again.” View the full article

The Ravens are slated to enter their regular season opener against the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs with nearly a fully healthy roster. Only linebacker Adisa Isaac and running back Rasheen Ali were listed on the team’s first injury report of the season Monday afternoon. Isaac did not practice Monday with a hamstring injury and Ali was a limited participant with a neck injury. All 51 other players were full participants in Baltimore’s penultimate practice before leaving for Kansas City. Isaac has been hampered with two separate hamstring injuries throughout the summer. The third-round draft pick suffered the first during rookie minicamp, then returned only to have a similar setback in his other leg. He was in line to play a sizable role as Baltimore searched for additional outside linebacker depth but has struggled to stay on the field long enough to earn more opportunities. Ali, a fifth-round draft pick, missed time in the preseason with a stinger, but his participation Monday indicates he cleared the league’s concussion protocol. Both Isaac and Ali made the Ravens’ initial 53-man roster with no injury designations but are candidates to be placed on injured reserve before Thursday’s game. Practice squad elevations for another outside linebacker or running back are also possibilities. For the Chiefs, only former Raven Marquise Brown was held out Monday. The wide receiver signed a one-year, $7 million contract with Kansas City this offseason after spending the last two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. Baltimore used the draft pick it received from Arizona in the trade for Brown on center Tyler Linderbaum, who is expected to play after returning to practice as a full participant this week following an extended absence with a neck injury. Mark Andrews, who missed the final weeks of training camp and preseason following a car accident, is also expected to play. View the full article

It was the day after last season’s AFC championship game and the mind of Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton was already on his top offseason priority as he cleaned out his locker in the grim quiet of the team’s facility in Owings Mills. Perhaps he was thinking about how to slow down Travis Kelce after the Kansas City Chiefs tight end racked up 11 catches for 116 yards and a touchdown against Hamilton that helped set the tone for a long January afternoon for the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Or maybe he was contemplating the All-Pro and Pro Bowl season he just had and how he’d need to be even better for a defense in 2024 that would have significant turnover on the roster and amid the coaching staff. Not quite. “Golf,” he said. Indeed. “My brother doesn’t have the patience for it, but I love it,” Hamilton told The Baltimore Sun in a recent interview. “If I’m not playing football, I’m trying to get on a golf course somewhere.” Born in 2001, Hamilton and his older brother, Tyler, were introduced to the game by their father, Derrek, a 1988 New Jersey Nets draft pick, who played professionally in Europe for 15 years and took up golf during the peak of the Tiger Woods era in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The youngest Hamilton’s obsession with golf, which he started playing around 5 years old, has only blossomed since. At home in suburban Atlanta this summer, he played three to four times a week, usually at venerable Peachtree Golf Club, which was co-designed by legendary amateur Bobby Jones. And amid the mundanity of training camp, Hamilton worked in rounds at every opportunity, including one recent occasion at Baltimore Country Club, where he nearly made his first hole-in-one, hitting a gap wedge from 140 yards to within a foot of the cup. On the surface, football and golf could not seem more disparate endeavors. But Hamilton’s curious mind sees the many correlations between the two, including the endless and necessary attention to detail, as well as the plotting and angles and mental acuity, all of which have also helped him in just two seasons become perhaps the best player at his position and one of the best overall in the NFL. “Short memory, especially at DB, you’re gonna get beat sometimes,” he continues. “You’re gonna hit bad shots in golf. The best ones forget about it quickly. “It may not be as physically taxing as football, but mentally that’s one of the toughest sports. You’re out there alone against [over a hundred] dudes in the field and it’s about who gets hot doing it over four days consistently. Sleeping on a lead on a Saturday night in a major, it doesn’t get more intense than that.” Patrolling the Ravens’ secondary as a position-less player who will again be counted on to do it all this season is up there, too. Despite the loss, Ravens safety was all over the field during January’s AFC championship game loss to the Chiefs. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Examples of Hamilton’s exploits abounded last season, in particular during that 17-10 loss to the Chiefs in the conference title game. After Kansas City raced out to a 17-7 halftime lead, Baltimore’s defense stiffened, holding the Chiefs to 98 total yards and quarterback Patrick Mahomes to just 4.8 yards per pass attempt while sacking him twice, something no other team managed last postseason. Though he gave up a touchdown on the game’s first drive, Hamilton was often at the nexus of the Ravens’ success defensively. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Ravens have to prove they’re still one of the best at developing talent | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens Q&A with Zach Orr on his playing career, family, becoming a coach and more Baltimore Ravens | Just another game? Ravens talk approach for season-opening rematch against Chiefs. Baltimore Ravens | Beau Brade dreamed of playing for the Ravens. Now he’s ‘gotta make the most of it.’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens re-signing QB Tyler Huntley to practice squad after Browns release him On one play, there he was blowing up Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco in the backfield. On another, he fights off a blocker to drag Kelce down with one arm. Thenhe races backward to break up a deep pass intended for speedy receiver Rashee Rice. He later mangles a tunnel screen to Rice. Finally, he blitzes Mahomes from the backside to force a hurried incompletion. “Kyle is a unicorn,” Ravens passing game coordinator Chris Hewitt said. “He’s a one of one.” Which is why first-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr gives the 23-year-old a certain degree of autonomy within the defense and calls him “the ultimate chess piece.” “My goal for him is to one day win [the] defensive MVP — here — of the league,” Orr said. “The thing about him being the ultimate chess piece, depending on what the offense does, he can play anywhere. He can play safety, deep safety, box safety; he can play corner, he can play nickel, he can play backer, he can even play outside linebacker, too, and you guys know he can rush the passer. “The thing that you appreciate about Kyle Hamilton is, is he works at it. He’s a smart player, so he can handle all the different volume that you get him. I think he’s eager, going into his third year, to do more, so we’ll see.” That much has manifested itself, not just in games, but in practice. Early in training camp, quarterback Lamar Jackson lofted a long pass for Mark Andrews with Hamilton in close coverage. Both men went up for the ball with Andrews snatching it. But before he could secure it, Hamilton knocked it free with his leg as the two were crashing to the turf and then hauled it himself for the lone interception of the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player that afternoon. Other days, Hamilton will spend time running routes as a wide receiver because, in his words, if he can move like a receiver then he should be able to guard one. That kind of study extends to golf as well. Some of Hamilton’s favorite pros include Min Woo Lee, Scottie Scheffler, Rickie Fowler, Cam Smith and Brooks Koepka. All have vastly differing skills and styles of play, but the beauty — in golf and in football — he says are in the details. Golf is also an escape for him, he says, allowing him to clear his head and refocus his mind. “There’s so much little stuff in golf that I feel is the same in football,” Hamilton told The Sun, adding that he often also studies the nuances of safeties, cornerbacks, linebackers and even defensive ends around the league. “It’s not one size fits all.” “He’s like a generational-type player,” Ravens passing game coordinator Chris Hewitt said of safety Kyle Hamilton, pictured. “You don’t see many guys who are 6-foot-4, who can run and change direction the way he does.” He says the difference between his first year in the NFL and his second was akin to showing up at a course he hadn’t played compared with one he had and knows where all the trouble is, acknowledging that sometimes he “hit it out of bounds” as a rookie. As one example, Hamilton said he had to learn patience in zone defense. “College and high school, you could just go make a play,” he told The Sun. “In the NFL, they’re doing stuff on purpose, putting something in front of a young rookie safety’s face to go drive it, then do something behind you going deep. “It’s like everyone wants to go to the range and hit driver, but you gotta go work on your short game and putting. To equate that to how I watch film intently, am I watching to see what personnel they’re in to see what guys do, or am I watching to get a good idea of formations and what they’re trying to run and what I can eliminate by just looking at a formation?” That was the case during last season’s key Christmas night victory over the San Francisco 49ers, when Hamilton read their first-and-10 play from Baltimore’s 15-yard-line on their opening drive so well that he quickly moved off tight end George Kittle to streaking receiver Deebo Samuel to easily cut off the route and intercept a would-be touchdown pass in the end zone. It was one of four interceptions on the year for Hamilton, who also had 13 passes defended, three sacks, four quarterback hits, a forced fumble and 81 tackles, including 10 for loss. When Hamilton was on the field last season, the Ravens’ defense was one of the best in the NFL in yards allowed per play, expected points added allowed per play and success rate. When he wasn’t, they were below average. “There are not many guys who [can] come along like that,” Hewitt said. “He’s like a generational-type player. You don’t see many guys who are 6-foot-4, who can run and change direction the way he does. He still plays with violence; he’s not a finesse player. He’s got it all.” Once a star high school basketball player before he decided to focus solely on football and with a golf handicap currently around 6, it’s hard to argue otherwise. Hamilton still has a few goals, though, with the Super Bowl at the top of the list. When it comes to golf, attending the Masters, making a hole-in-one and playing Pebble Beach — which he’ll do on a buddies trip next March — top the list. “It’s not something I’m not necessarily that good at,” he demures. “A bunch of my friends are better than me.” The same at least can’t be said about his football. View the full article

The Ravens have been considered one of the best drafting teams in the NFL ever since they moved from Cleveland to Baltimore for the 1996 season, and it’s hard to argue against that sentiment. After all, the team’s first two selections were a pair of Pro Football Hall of Famers in offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden and middle linebacker Ray Lewis. In 2024, the Ravens will have to show if that reputation still holds. Gone are veterans such as running backs Gus Edwards, J.K. Dobbins and Melvin Gordon III, wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., offensive linemen John Simpson, Morgan Moses and Kevin Zeitler, inside linebacker Patrick Queen and three defensive assistants, as well as Joe D’Alessandris, the team’s late offensive line coach. Even though they don’t want to admit it, the Ravens are in a modest rebuild hindered by some salary cap restrictions. They still have to sign extensions with prominent players such as safety Kyle Hamilton and center Tyler Linderbaum in the immediate future. So, the current team is like one of those “The Price is Right” shows. Hey, guards Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faalele, come on down. Unfortunately, both are here to stay for a while. The alternatives aren’t good, and that was clearly evident in the Ravens’ 30-7 preseason loss to the Green Bay Packers on Aug. 24. “We have a lot of really good young players; and we’re going to have more challenges, because looking out in the next couple years, starting after this season, we’re going to have some really, really good players that we can extend,” Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said. “It’s going to be challenging, but we’re going to try to keep as much of our young talent here in Baltimore as we can.” “We can’t do it all the time, but that’s a mission that we have,” DeCosta added. “I love that we have so many good young players, and they keep emerging, and we keep seeing these guys develop. It’s great in one way, but in the other way, it’s hard because we can’t keep every single player. But we’re going to try to keep as many guys as we can. So, I think our future is very bright.” On offense, the Ravens are thin on the line and at wide receiver. Because of a knee injury, Vorhees missed all of his rookie season a year ago and should be making his first NFL start at left guard Thursday night in the season opener against the Chiefs in Kansas City. After two preseason games, he has played like a rookie with a lack of consistency. The 6-foot-8, 380-pound Faalele has played both tackle spots over the past two seasons filling in for Ronnie Stanley and Patrick Mekari, but he faces a new challenge on the interior. There aren’t too many guards in the NFL with his size. Faalele has struggled with hand placement, knee bend and working into the second and third levels, but he has gotten better since the start of training camp. Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman has yet to prove he can be a No. 1 target, Mike Preston writes. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) The Ravens have a capable group of receivers with speedster Zay Flowers in the slot and Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely providing a double threat at tight end. Veteran receiver Nelson Agholor can line up anywhere. But the scary part is whether 2021 first-round draft pick Rashod Bateman can finally develop into a true No. 1 receiver on the outside. Will he sulk if he doesn’t get involved in the offense right away? He is the X-factor. “It’s just really an opportunity for Rashod to show what he can do consistently,” DeCosta said. “I think a big part of that is him staying on the field, playing and catching the ball. He runs great routes, he’s tough. He wants to be good. He has the talent to do it, and he needs the opportunities, and the other half of that is staying healthy.” Some of the Ravens’ recent draft classes have been successful. Flowers, a 2023 first-round pick, had 77 catches for 858 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie last season, and Likely finished with 30 receptions for 411 yards and five touchdowns in his second year while filling in for an injured Andrews. Defensively, the Ravens aren’t in much better shape. They gave up a lot of rushing yards in three preseason games, but that won’t happen with nose tackle Michael Pierce, defensive end Justin Madubuike and middle linebacker Roquan Smith back in the starting lineup. But after Smith, the Ravens have linebackers Chris Board and Malik Harrison, both of whom are limited in coverage. Second-year player Trent Simpson will join Smith on the inside and he was efficient as a tackler in the preseason, but how many did he make within 4-5 yards of the line of scrimmage? That’s a concern. Third-year defensive tackle Travis Jones played well in training camp, but not so well in preseason games. The same can be said for outside linebackers Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo, who were drafted to revitalize the pass rush. In the case of Ojabo, leg injuries have forced him to miss the past two seasons. Oweh’s situation is different because he just hasn’t played at a consistent level for someone drafted in the first round. He dominated in training camp this summer and was held out of preseason games. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | How Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton’s golf obsession helps fuel his All-Pro football game Baltimore Ravens | Ravens Q&A with Zach Orr on his playing career, family, becoming a coach and more Baltimore Ravens | Just another game? Ravens talk approach for season-opening rematch against Chiefs. Baltimore Ravens | Beau Brade dreamed of playing for the Ravens. Now he’s ‘gotta make the most of it.’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens re-signing QB Tyler Huntley to practice squad after Browns release him It’s an interesting mix that coach John Harbaugh has to bring together. The Ravens have a decent blend of high-caliber talent with quarterback Lamar Jackson, running back Derrick Henry and possibly the improved play of left tackle Ronnie Stanley. On defense, Madubuike wants to prove that his 13 sacks a year ago were no fluke, and neither were the nine contributed by outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy. As for Smith, he might be the best middle linebacker in the game, certainly the best in Baltimore since Lewis. But the recent death of D’Alessandris will slow the development of the offensive line, and the team lost assistants Anthony Weaver (Miami Dolphins) and Dennard Wilson (Tennessee Titans) to defensive coordinator positions elsewhere. Also, former Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald was named the coach of the Seattle Seahawks. The Ravens have enough prime-time players to jell, but it will come down to the development of young talent, especially on the offensive line. The organization has to prove again that its reputation is legitimate. If not, this season could be a struggle. View the full article

It’s rare for a coordinator to be scrutinized as much as his top players, but Zach Orr will step immediately into the spotlight in his first season running the Ravens’ defense. That’s because the 32-year-old retired linebacker will take over for one of the most acclaimed defensive minds in football, his close friend and mentor Mike Macdonald, who’s now coaching the Seattle Seahawks. Orr sat down recently to discuss how he knew coaching was the right fit after his playing career ended abruptly, his bond with Macdonald and how he plans to put his own stamp on the Ravens’ defensive tradition. Your dad [Terry Orr] was an NFL player, but he did not steer you and your brothers toward football. Why did you go that way anyway? I really think we just saw all his jerseys hanging up and all his trophies and accomplishments around the house, and that was something we looked up to and saw since we were younger. We kind of just found our way with it, and he never pushed us away from it, but he never steered us to it. But all that stuff being around, watching his old videos and tapes, that just motivated us, and we fell in love with the game on our own. He talked about how when he was still playing in Washington, he coached your rec team in Virginia and he would have been fine if you had fun and that was it, that was the end. I can remember maybe one time when we actually played catch with each other or worked out and trained. But he really didn’t care. When he had the pee-wee team, in the draft, he said all I want is my boys on my team, and then I’ll take whoever’s left over. So he honestly didn’t really care if we played or not. His actions spoke loudly in that regard. He never put a football in our hands. He just said, ‘It’s y’all choice, and if y’all want to do it, understand that it’s going to be hard work.’ Give us a sense of how how much football meant in [your hometown of] DeSoto, Texas. Man, everything. Even when I was in junior high, we always went to the high school games. So many great players came through there, so at a very early age, you understood, that man, these guys are going to the National Football League. They’re going to big-time colleges. So that’s just the goal coming from that city. You see so many people be successful that you just think, ‘Hey, I’m the next man up when I get my turn.’ Football’s everything there. The city comes out Friday nights. Everything shuts down. The stadium’s packed. Your dad said friends would visit and mistake the high school stadiums for college stadiums. Yeah, Texas high school football is different. Stadiums seat a minimum of 10,000, and you make the playoffs, there might be 20,000 or 30,000 at your game. Who, early on, gave you a sense of what it meant to be a good coach? Brian Stansberry, he was my high school linebacker coach. I didn’t play linebacker my first two years. I was a safety, and he kept on telling me, ‘You’re gonna be a linebacker.’ Him teaching me the game, helping me see the game in slow motion at such a young age, that just showed me the effect a coach could have on a player. That’s the first part. The second part was just the impact this dude had on my life. He picked me up early in the morning every single day, took me to the gym, trained with me and then watched film with me, even after practice. My friends would go home and laugh at me because I’d still be in the film room with him. What he did for me as a coach and as another role model made me decide that I love the game of football and even when I’m done playing, I want to be around it. And I wanted to have an impact on people’s lives like he had on my life. He’s like a member of the family, right? Yeah, he was at my wedding this summer. He taught all of us in gym when we were in middle school, and then he coached all four of us [brothers] when we came through there. I know his wife and daughters real well. We’re a family. And then your dad said he used to tell you about [Hall of Fame Washington coach] Joe Gibbs, that he was a teacher at his core. Yeah he did. He always talked about how he was a great coach and a great person but that how he was great was he always told the players why they were doing something. Why are we running this play? Why is it going to work? He was a great teacher, and everybody there was on the same page, won a lot of games, won a couple championships. Is that something you try to keep in mind now, that the players need to know why? Definitely. As a player, you don’t want to feel like I’m just out here running plays. You want to know why we’re doing it, why we think it’s going to work, why I need to do this job responsibility to put the team in the best position. I definitely keep that in mind, and coach [John] Harbaugh, he holds us accountable. He coaches us and tells us, ‘Make sure these guys know the why.’ You get the medical news [in 2016] that your playing career is over, and then you’re back at your parents’ house. What was your state of mind? I honestly was in shock, just trying to take everything and figure out, ‘Is this really happening?’ I had my family around. After a week or two, I started processing, and then it was like, ‘Man, I’ve got to start thinking about what I’m going to do next.’ I was still so young and had so much energy. I was still so hungry for the game of football. I really appreciate my family the most in that time. They stuck by me, didn’t let me be alone, encouraged me, gave me time. And then, obviously the Ravens — that’s why I say I’ll always bleed purple and black, because they had my back through it all. They constantly checked on me and told me whenever I was ready, they’d love to have me back up here. Your older brother [Terrance II] said there were some days when he went at you like a coach. He did. My older brother, he’s only 2 1/2 years older, but he’s like another father figure. He wasn’t going to let me put my head down. He was coaching me, like, ‘What you going to do next? It’s unfortunate what happened, but God got a bigger plan for you. So you need to pick yourself up. We’re going to figure this out.’ He wasn’t going to let me slip. When you put so much energy into becoming what you were as an athlete, was it ever in your head that coaching might be an option down the line? Definitely. I told people all the time. I remember vividly my rookie year in the locker room, we were just getting to know each other, and they were saying, ‘Well, what would you want to do after you’re done playing ball?’ And I said, ‘Go back to Texas and be a high school football coach.’ I always wanted to be a coach. Even if I didn’t make the National Football League, I would have been around the game in some form. I love it. And then just seeing the impact coaches had on my life through high school and college, in the pros, I knew it was something I wanted to do. To this extent? I didn’t know it was going to reach this level, but I knew I wanted to get into coaching in some way. You joked back then that the hours were more and the notoriety was less, but when you started coaching with the Ravens, what let you know, ‘OK, I’m on the right track?’ I still had that passion and that burning desire to come into work, like I did as a player. As a player, I loved coming in early to get a workout in, staying late to watch film. And I still had that burning passion as a coach, do whatever I can to help these guys be in the best position to succeed. When I realized I still had that desite, it was like, ‘Yeah, I’m doing the right thing.’ My heart was in it. What do you remember about the first time you met Mike Macdonald? Oh man, me and Mike in the same year. He was a super young coach. He was an intern, and I was a rookie. You could see he was really passionate, and he knew a lot because he worked with so many different positions. He worked every part of the defense. He would give us young guys great pointers and great tips, and he was just a good dude. Just a good, nice young intern who knew ball. He said what was special about you right away was you knew how to tell the players what the coaches wanted, and you knew how to tell the coaches what the players wanted. Was that your magic power as a young coach? Definitely. Early on, I felt like I was a good bridge for both sides, because I had just got done playing, so I knew how we felt as players. But me being upstairs with the coaches, I understood how they reacted to certain things. So I would try to tell both sides, ‘Hey, look, I understand where you’re coming from. But you’ve got to see it from their point of view.’ I appreciate Mike and those guys for allowing me to do that and listening to me. You’re in a different position now, but do you feel you still have that quality? I think I’ve still got it. Once you’re a player, you’re always a player. Those feelings don’t leave. Obviously, I’m fully fledged as a coach, but I still tell the players, ‘I know how you’re feeling. I know How maybe your body might be. I understand sometimes you get frustrated. But understand the end goal.’ I definitely still put myself in the players’ shoes. Kyle Hamilton said that even though you weren’t his position coach, ‘Z.O. was my guy.’ Do you think guys feel that way because of your ability to understand what they’re going through? I definitely could connect with them. I’ve always been a guy who, regardless if you’re my position or not, I’m gonna talk to you, see how you’re doing. If I see something that could help you out, not just in football but in life, I’m going to try. I’m still fairly young, but I think guys see the maturity, the work, so I think they respect me in that aspect. What did you get out of the year you spent away from the Ravens [2021], coaching in Jacksonville? Facing coaching adversity and really just growing. I didn’t know anybody. The players didn’t know me; a lot of them knew I was a Raven, a former player, so you kind of get that respect off the jump. But I had to get to know these guys off the strength of what I actually did there. So I think I grew a lot. I coached a different position than I had been coaching, so I grew in football knowledge. We didn’t win a lot, so you find different ways to teach, to coach, to persevere. I tell people all the time I’m thankful for it. Mike said that when he came back to the Ravens as defensive coordinator, he wanted you back on his stuff. Why do you think that relationship became so tight? We got real close when he was the linebackers coach and I was basically his assistant. We leaned on each other for coaching points, leaned on each other in life, for advice. We spent three years with each other every day, just talking ball and life. I still talk to him at least once a week, even though he’s in Seattle. I do look at him as a brother and a friend. He said the coordinator has to have the confidence that his vision is right, and he said I have no doubt Zach will have that confidence. How will you put your stamp on the defense? I think you build that over years. You have to be confident in yourself before anything. But my vision for this team is just physical, violent execution at the highest level. I want these guys flying around, bing physical, playing the Raven way, but then executing no matter the situation, whether it’s third down, two-minute, red zone. Your dad also said Zach has never thought he was wrong about anything, so he’s not going to struggle believing he has the right plan. (Laughs.) That means my plan worked. I always liked to argue. I always want to know why you think that or see how confident someone is in their belief by challenging it. And definitely with him, because I could get him going, get him riled up. He said it’s possible to change your mind, but it’s a real achievement. I would say I’m a strong-minded person. If I do believe in something, I believe in it. Hey, if you can change my mind, that means you showed me some evidence and some proof. If it’s the best thing, I’m willing to do it. Mike also said he has no doubt you’ll be a head coach if that’s what you want. Do you think about that, or does that still feel like it’s on the other side of the mountain? I still feel it’s on the other side of the mountain. I’m not saying it hasn’t crossed my mind. I’m not saying it’s not a goal of mine. But one thing that has helped me out going back to my playing days is just staying in the moment. Right now, I’m just focusing on being the best coach I can be to lead this defense to a championship. That’s down the road, God willing. But right now, I’ve got to be where my feet are. View the full article

Six weeks before Derrick Henry signed the two-year, $16 million deal that brought him to the Ravens, the All-Pro running back watched the AFC championship game with undertones of envy. His Tennessee Titans had finished 6-11 and missed the playoffs for the second straight season. Henry couldn’t help but muse. “Hell yeah, I wished I could suit up that day watching that game,” he said, of the Ravens’ 17-10 loss to the Chiefs in January. “But now it’s my turn. I gotta take advantage of it. It’s gonna be a hell of a game.” Baltimore opens its season at 8:20 p.m. Thursday at Arrowhead Stadium in a rematch of that long-discussed AFC championship game. The NFL announced the matchup May 13. Facing the team that ended their Super Bowl hopes one game shy of a title shot, each Raven compartmentalizes the Week 1 rematch differently. Around the locker room Sunday was a smorgasbord of coachspeak, motivation and downright emotional detachment from seeing the Chiefs again. “To me, you have to remember it’s the first game,” coach John Harbaugh said. “But it’s not the only game.” The notion of the NFL using two of the game’s elite quarterbacks, Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes, as its headliners in anticipatory graphics for the league’s season opener gave Jackson pause. Even if only for a moment, the look that washed across the two-time MVP’s face was one of naivety: “It’s the start of the season,” he said plainly. “So we gotta make a great impression for the first game.” Jackson spent so much of last season talking about his “singular goal.” The Chiefs were the ones standing in the way of a chance at delivering on his draft night promise. The way Jackson views opening night is the Chiefs — who are chasing the NFL’s first three-peat — are once again standing in the way. Even if it’s a bit further from the big one he promised. Thus, Jackson — who threw for 272 yards and a touchdown with one interception in the AFC championship game — did his best to sidestep any questions about the obvious pageantry beyond just the start of a new season. “I really don’t pay no mind, I just want to play football,” Jackson said. And later, along the same vein, “Any game I play in, I feel like it’s a revenge game so I’m not gonna look at this game like a revenge game.” His counterpart Mahomes told Kansas City reporters on Sunday, “I don’t think last year is too much in your mind. You’re so focused on trying to get better and we’re playing the best of the best Week 1. We’re gonna see where we’re at.” Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith said of Thursday’s season-opening rematch with the Chiefs, “Obviously the guys that were here last year are gonna carry that into the season.” (Kim Hairston/Staff) Roquan Smith doesn’t totally agree. The linebacker who embodies the longstanding fiery reputation of the Ravens’ defense doesn’t plan to completely forget the loss. “Obviously the guys that were here last year are gonna carry that into the season,” Smith said. “Putting that in your back pocket and using that as motivation on top of the motivation that’s already there.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | How Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton’s golf obsession helps fuel his All-Pro football game Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Ravens have to prove they’re still one of the best at developing talent | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens Q&A with Zach Orr on his playing career, family, becoming a coach and more Baltimore Ravens | Beau Brade dreamed of playing for the Ravens. Now he’s ‘gotta make the most of it.’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens re-signing QB Tyler Huntley to practice squad after Browns release him Safety Kyle Hamilton added: “We’re all just excited. We’ve been talking about it all offseason that last year didn’t end how we wanted it to, but it gives us perspective on what we need to do to get back to what we did last year and win that game.” The wide receiver room shares in those sentiments. Going back to watch that loss is obviously a part of the football prep. Compartmentalizing the plays they’d like to have back — like wide receiver Zay Flowers’ fourth-quarter fumble at the goal line — only adds fuel. Nelson Agholor is narrowly thinking about two ways to approach Thursday’s game. Both of which are positive, the veteran receiver said. There’s the side of detachment and poise that can ready a player the way it would any other outing. Or they can carry a nearly-eight-month-old hunger into Arrowhead. “Both are gonna help you out,” Agholor said. “At the end of the day, you just gotta attack it.” Henry doesn’t have much emotional attachment to the loss considering he watched it from his couch at home. “At the end of the day, it’s just football,” he said, comparing “Thursday Night Football” to the sport he started playing at 5 years old. “But the atmosphere,” Henry said, “and it being the first game. At night. Them coming off a Super Bowl. It being at home at Arrowhead, which you know the environment is gonna be loud. It’s gonna be hostile. That’s what you want.” View the full article

As Beau Brade was midway through his news conference Friday, Kyle Hamilton and Nelson Agholor briefly interrupted. The undrafted rookie was meeting with the media for the first time as a Raven, and his two teammates used the moment to briefly tease and distract the newcomer. “Beau Brade!” Hamilton said. “Hometown kid!” Agholor shouted. Brade, a Howard County native and former Terp, was the only undrafted player to make Baltimore’s 53-man roster after Tuesday’s cuts. It was a dream for Brade, who attended Ravens games as a child, has fond memories of Super Bowl 47 and played with the team in the “Madden” video game. “It’s a dream,” Brade said. “Every kid around here, you dreamed to be on the Ravens.” Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta approached Brade after Monday’s practice to tell him the news. DeCosta pulled Brade to the side, made quick talk about how camp was going, then informed him his impressive showing this summer was being rewarded. Later, Brade relayed that to his parents: “They started crying,” he said. Brade stood out in training camp and three preseason games to force a choice on team decision-makers. He thought he put himself in a position to make the club but kept his hopes from growing too high. Ultimately, Baltimore opted to keep five safeties on the roster. “My mindset going into it was not to get too high on it,” said Brade, who changed his jersey number from 6 to 24 after making the roster. “I didn’t want to have any expectations. In the preseason, I played the best I could have played. I left everything out there.” Ravens rookie safety Beau Brade changed his jersey number from 6 to 24 after making the 53-man roster. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) The safety was a Howard County Times Defensive Player of the Year as a senior at River Hill, then enjoyed a stellar four-year career with the Terps. Despite leading defenses that were near the top of the Big Ten and receiving all-conference honorable mention twice, Brade went undrafted. He landed with his hometown squad. The Ravens have been one of the NFL’s best teams at identifying talented undrafted players — Brade’s defensive coordinator Zach Orr was once one of them. “He did it the hard way. He earned it,” coach John Harbaugh said. “It’s a meritocracy. You got to go out and you’ve got to earn everything. That’s a beautiful thing.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens re-signing QB Tyler Huntley to practice squad after Browns release him Baltimore Ravens | Ravens TE Mark Andrews returns to practice ahead of opener vs. Chiefs: ‘My body feels good’ Baltimore Ravens | Chiefs to be without WR Marquise Brown in season opener against Ravens Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ Lamar Jackson partners with horse racing league aiming to ‘modernize’ the sport Baltimore Ravens | 2024 NFL predictions: Staff picks for division winners, Super Bowl champ and MVP Brade was confident he’d get drafted last April. Instead, for the first time at any level of football, he was overlooked. Those expectations not coming to fruition reset how Brade thought of himself entering this summer in Baltimore, turning him into someone who felt he needed to prove himself, unlike anything he’d had to do before. But that set the safety up for an impressive showing that earned him a coveted roster spot. Brade couldn’t stop gushing about the opportunity Friday. How this was a dream come true, memories of the team from his youth and other platitudes spilled from his mouth in front of the microphone. Eventually he stopped, gathered his thoughts and ended his run-on diatribe — “Been a great experience,” he said with a smile. Now, proving the Ravens made the right choice begins. “It’s been better than I could have ever expected,” Brade said. “Gotta make the most of it.” View the full article

Tyler Huntley is returning to Baltimore. The former Ravens quarterback, who signed with the Cleveland Browns in the offseason but was released Thursday, is signing with Baltimore’s practice squad, a source with direct knowledge of the move confirmed to The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore had an open spot after filling out the group earlier in the week. The move also gives the Ravens two quarterbacks on the practice squad — for now — with Huntley joining rookie sixth-round draft pick Devin Leary, who was waived Tuesday but re-signed a day later. Currently, Baltimore has quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Josh Johnson on its active roster. But after a potential rule change that would have allowed NFL teams unlimited practice squad elevations for their third/emergency quarterback was vetoed last month by the NFL Players Association, coach John Harbaugh said that decision could impact how the team handles its third quarterback. Now, just as it was last season, the third/emergency quarterback does not count against a team’s 48-player game day roster limit, but only if the quarterback is on the 53-man roster. “We were kind of counting on the rule,” Harbaugh said earlier this week. “They vetoed it for whatever good reason that they had, and we’ll have to change our thinking on that.” Leary’s struggles in the preseason perhaps also played a part. In parts of three games, Leary completed just 15 of 28 passes for 95 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. Huntley, meanwhile, also appeared in three preseason games for the Browns and completed 37 of 51 passes for 322 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. He also ran for 46 yards, averaging 5.8 per carry. But with Cleveland already having Deshaun Watson, veteran Jameis Winston and second-year quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, there was no room for Huntley. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens TE Mark Andrews returns to practice ahead of opener vs. Chiefs: ‘My body feels good’ Baltimore Ravens | Chiefs to be without WR Marquise Brown in season opener against Ravens Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ Lamar Jackson partners with horse racing league aiming to ‘modernize’ the sport Baltimore Ravens | 2024 NFL predictions: Staff picks for division winners, Super Bowl champ and MVP Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: With ‘crazy’ Ravens schedule, NFL puts money above player safety | COMMENTARY Huntley, 26, who signed with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent out of Utah in 2020, spent his first four years in the league with Baltimore, earning Pro Bowl honors as an injury replacement in 2022. Last season, he played in five games for the Ravens, almost entirely in mop-up duty, with one start in a meaningless season finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers with the Ravens having already wrapped up the top seed in the AFC. For the year, he completed 21 of 37 passes for 203 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. In four seasons with the Ravens, Huntley has started nine games, completing 64.6% of his passes for 1,957 yards with eight touchdowns with seven interceptions. He also has 509 career rushing yards with three scores, though infamously fumbled on a fourth-down, goal-line sneak in a 2023 divisional round playoff loss against the Bengals with Cincinnati’s Sam Hubbard returning the ball 98 yards for a touchdown in what ended up being the deciding score. With Huntley becoming a free agent at the end of last season, the Ravens decided to not bring him back. But with a lack of experience on the roster, they changed their mind once he became available again. View the full article

Ravens tight end Mark Andrews was back on the practice field Friday for the first time since being involved in a car crash with another vehicle earlier this month. “I’m feeling really good,” he said. “I’m excited. My body feels good. I can’t wait for this first game of the season.” Andrews’ return was timely with that first game just six days away as Baltimore kicks off its season against the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on “Thursday Night Football.” Coach John Harbaugh was brief in his remarks about Andrews’ being back but is clearly happy to have the former All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowl selection returning and apparently healthy. “Mark looked good,” Harbaugh said. “He had a good practice.” Though it’s unclear what injury kept Andrews out of practice since the Aug. 14 accident near the Ravens’ facility in Owings Mills, or if the injury was suffered in the crash in which both vehicles sustained “heavy damage” and no injuries were reported, according to police, Andrews said he’s looking forward to moving forward. “It’s extremely scary,” he said of the crash, declining to provide specifics of what happened for insurance reasons. “It was definitely a serious thing.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens re-signing QB Tyler Huntley to practice squad after Browns release him Baltimore Ravens | Chiefs to be without WR Marquise Brown in season opener against Ravens Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ Lamar Jackson partners with horse racing league aiming to ‘modernize’ the sport Baltimore Ravens | 2024 NFL predictions: Staff picks for division winners, Super Bowl champ and MVP Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: With ‘crazy’ Ravens schedule, NFL puts money above player safety | COMMENTARY Andrews added that he was fortunate to be wearing a seatbelt and that he’s eager to get back on the field against the team that ended the Ravens’ season last year with a 17-10 win in the AFC championship game at M&T Bank Stadium. Last season, Andrews suffered an ankle injury in a Week 11 win over the Cincinnati Bengals that kept him out until the AFC title game. He returned for the Jan. 28 contest but had just two catches for 15 yards. Isaiah Likely became the Ravens’ top tight end in Andrews’ absence last season and had 30 catches for 411 yards and five touchdowns. Andrews, who finished 2023 with 45 catches for 544 yards and six scores in just 10 games, has been one of quarterback Lamar Jackson’s favorite targets since they were drafted together in 2018. “It’s big,” Andrews said of being back for the rematch against Kansas City. “Having the last game being played against them and not feeling like myself just yet … my body feels good.” View the full article

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Chiefs will have newly acquired JuJu Smith-Schuster and Samaje Perine but not wide receiver Marquise Brown when they play the Ravens on Thursday night in an AFC title game rematch that opens the NFL season. Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Friday that Smith-Schuster and Perine should be able to pick up enough of the playbook in time to help them out against Baltimore. Smith-Schuster was released by the Patriots last month and signed with the Chiefs on Monday, while Perine was released by the Broncos on Tuesday and was in Kansas City two days later. “I’ve just got to see with Perine with where he’s at in picking everything up,” Reid said. “I’m not going to put him in a bad position obviously, but I think he’s going to be fine. He’s been here cranking things up, so we’ll see how it goes.” Brown, one of the Chiefs’ marquee free agent acquisitions, dislocated the sternoclavicular joint in his shoulder after making a catch in their preseason opener against Jacksonville. The Ravens’ 2019 first-round draft pick got the shoulder set without surgery, though, helping to speed up the 4-to-6 week timeline for recovery and giving him a chance to play in Week 1. But despite appearing on the practice field this week, Brown did not take part in any real work, and Reid decided to give him more time to recover. The fact that Chiefs general manager Brett Veach opted against putting him on short-term injured reserve this week when the roster was trimmed means they still expect him back in the next couple of weeks. “He’s at the point where he can laugh without pain,” Veach said this week, putting a positive spin on Brown’s recovery. Smith-Schuster helps to provide some depth at the position. The veteran wide receiver played for the Chiefs two years ago, catching 78 passes for 933 yards and three touchdowns. It ended with a trip to the Super Bowl, where Smith-Schuster caught seven passes for 53 yards in a 38-35 win over the Eagles. He signed a three-year, $25 million contract with New England, despite a history of knee issues that had kept some other teams from showing interest. He finished with just 29 catches for 260 yards and 11 games with the Patriots. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens re-signing QB Tyler Huntley to practice squad after Browns release him Baltimore Ravens | Ravens TE Mark Andrews returns to practice ahead of opener vs. Chiefs: ‘My body feels good’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ Lamar Jackson partners with horse racing league aiming to ‘modernize’ the sport Baltimore Ravens | 2024 NFL predictions: Staff picks for division winners, Super Bowl champ and MVP Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: With ‘crazy’ Ravens schedule, NFL puts money above player safety | COMMENTARY “We welcomed JuJu back with open arms,” Reid said. “He’s healthy and ready to go. His knee — he had the knee before, but we were able to manage that. We’ll continue to manage it. He looks great right now. He jumped right back in and had some practice with us. It’s just a matter of getting banged around a bit after not being in camp.” Second-year pro Rashee Rice and first-round pick Xavier Worthy will lead the Chiefs’ wide receiver corps while Brown is out, and veterans Justin Watson, Skyy Moore and Mecole Hardman will join Smith-Schuster in sharing backup opportunities. Reid declined to say who would be active on Thursday or whether he preferred a smaller rotation of wide receivers. “The obvious one that is unknown is Worthy, having not played in an NFL game — a real NFL game. Just preseason games and practice,” Reid said. “But what I’ve seen is they have a pretty good thing going, and we’ll just see how it goes when things are flying here fast and furious. But the other guys we have history with and know and trust.” View the full article

Randall Lane watched this year’s Preakness with Lamar Jackson. He saw first-hand how Baltimore responded to Jackson’s magnetic presence, with children and adults alike flocking to the star quarterback for photos and autographs. Lane knew then Jackson would make an ideal partner for his vision. Lane, a lifelong horse racing fan and co-founder of the National Thoroughbred League, was looking to expand his startup after its inaugural season and identified Maryland as a possibility. All he needed was a partner to connect a new team with the community. When horse racing fans at Pimlico Race Course this May were enamored with Jackson, Lane knew the Ravens’ signal caller was just what he needed. “We saw how Baltimore reacts to Lamar Jackson,” Lane told The Baltimore Sun. “He’s an electric guy.” The NTL’s second season begins Saturday in Nashville with four new teams, including the Maryland Colts. Lane aims to revolutionize the country’s oldest spectator sport by introducing a team element, which he hopes will make the sport easier to follow for fans and drive popularity. Partnering with Jackson could be critical. “You can’t have a major horse racing league without being in Maryland,” Lane said. The National Thoroughbred League began competition last season with six clubs and has expanded to 10 after a successful first year. The season consists of four events, beginning in Nashville on Saturday followed by Philadelphia in October and the league championship in Phoenix in December. Each event features five races, in which the 10 teams will deploy a different horse for each race with the overall winner being decided by a point system. Over $3 million in purses will be awarded across the three events, according to the NTL’s website. Along with Jackson, who became a part-owner of the expansion Maryland Colts, team owners and investors in the league include country music singer Tanya Tucker, basketball Hall of Famer Julius Erving, rapper Rick Ross and New York Giants defensive lineman Kayvon Thibodeaux. “I am truly excited to be a part of this great opportunity,” Jackson said in a release. “The core values of excellence, teamwork, community, and leadership will help push the program beyond our expectations. I believe through our efforts and determination more opportunities will be opened for the youth of the state of Maryland. We look forward to seeing the success of such a great vision become the reality.” Lane, a New York native, is the grandson of a professional horse racing gambler, currently the chief content officer at Forbes and grew up at racetracks and stables around the country. Why thoroughbred racing wasn’t more popular was a question that perplexed him and one he sought an answer to. He settled on the lack of a team element. Fans of football, baseball and basketball teams connect with their squads and players because of the continuity, Lane said, which the traditional structure of horse racing lacks. “Thoroughbred racing is the only sport where the superstars get retired as soon as they become famous,” he said. “We’re saying, ‘Let’s have teams that you can root for so that we can develop fans. Let’s have horses that run for those teams repeatedly so you get to know the players.’ We’re trying to modernize a lot of the thoroughbred experience. “We’re creating a true sporting event, and then we’re creating a true party weekend around it,” Lane continued. “Party, fashion, drinks. It’s like the Preakness.” Lane and the NTL are confident in their revolutionary team-based model, but also know connecting with their 10 cities is critical to continued growth. The league doesn’t aim to rival traditional horse racing events, but rather partner with them in a mutually beneficial manner, Lane said. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens re-signing QB Tyler Huntley to practice squad after Browns release him Baltimore Ravens | Ravens TE Mark Andrews returns to practice ahead of opener vs. Chiefs: ‘My body feels good’ Baltimore Ravens | Chiefs to be without WR Marquise Brown in season opener against Ravens Baltimore Ravens | 2024 NFL predictions: Staff picks for division winners, Super Bowl champ and MVP Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: With ‘crazy’ Ravens schedule, NFL puts money above player safety | COMMENTARY Preserving that history was important to Jackson, too. The two-time NFL Most Valuable Player and his mother, Felicia Jones, met with Lane and other NTL officials during this year’s Preakness to discuss a plan for what their potential partnership could look like. Highlighting Baltimore’s rich horse racing culture was a requirement for Jackson, Lane said. The 27-year-old Ravens star is a horse racing fan, but also served as a voice in those meetings for how the league could amplify the surrounding community. How do children around Pimlico benefit and how can the league create local jobs, Jackson asked. With those initiatives in mind, the league is bringing horse racing — with a team twist — to one of the staples of the sport around the world. “You’ll get to know the players on your team. You’ll root for your local team,” Lane said. “That’s why local ownership is very important to us. That’s why Lamar is key to this. Because we want to make sure it’s a true Baltimore team, a true Maryland team.” View the full article

Baltimore Sun staff writers pick every game of the NFL season. Here’s who they have winning each division and conference, as well as Super Bowl 59 and league Most Valuable Player. Mike Preston, columnist Division winners and wild cards AFC North: Ravens AFC South: Texans AFC East: Dolphins AFC West: Chiefs AFC wild cards: Bengals, Jaguars, Steelers NFC North: Lions NFC South: Buccaneers NFC East: Eagles NFC West: 49ers NFC wild cards: Cowboys, Rams, Packers Divisional round winners AFC: Ravens, Chiefs NFC: Eagles, 49ers Conference championship winners AFC: Chiefs NFC: Eagles Super Bowl winner Chiefs MVP Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs Childs Walker, reporter Division winners and wild cards AFC East: Bills AFC North: Bengals AFC South: Texans AFC West: Chiefs AFC wild cards: Ravens, Dolphins, Colts NFC East: Eagles NFC North: Packers NFC South: Falcons NFC West: 49ers NFC wild cards: Cowboys, Lions, Rams Divisional round winners AFC: Ravens, Bills NFC: Rams, Cowboys Conference championship winners AFC: Bills NFC: Cowboys Super Bowl winner Bills MVP Josh Allen, QB, Bills Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens re-signing QB Tyler Huntley to practice squad after Browns release him Baltimore Ravens | Ravens TE Mark Andrews returns to practice ahead of opener vs. Chiefs: ‘My body feels good’ Baltimore Ravens | Chiefs to be without WR Marquise Brown in season opener against Ravens Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ Lamar Jackson partners with horse racing league aiming to ‘modernize’ the sport Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: With ‘crazy’ Ravens schedule, NFL puts money above player safety | COMMENTARY Brian Wacker, reporter Division winners and wild cards AFC North: Bengals AFC South: Texans AFC East: Jets AFC West: Chiefs AFC wild cards: Ravens, Dolphins, Bills NFC North: Lions NFC South: Buccaneers NFC East: Eagles NFC West: 49ers NFC wild cards: Packers, Rams, Cowboys Divisional round winners AFC: Chiefs, Bengals NFC: 49ers, Eagles Conference championship winners AFC: Chiefs NFC: Eagles Super Bowl winner Chiefs MVP Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs View the full article

After having the NFL’s best regular-season record and coming within a game of playing in the Super Bowl, the Ravens don’t catch any breaks. Based on opponents’ winning percentage, Baltimore has the second-toughest schedule in the league this year. Its 14 foes posted a combined record of 155-134 last season (.536), and eight made the playoffs. According to projected win totals from Vegas oddsmakers compiled by Sharp Football Analysis, the Ravens’ 2024 schedule is the league’s fourth-hardest. On top of that, there are some disturbing stretches in the second half of the season, including three games in 14 days and another three in 10. When the schedule first came out, it appeared as though the NFL had a vendetta against the Ravens or coach John Harbaugh. Plus, whatever happened to this league having so much concern for player safety? “I think the league is going to continue to add more games because of the media contracts that they have, especially now with streaming,” said John Lopez, 79, a former trainer with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Baltimore Colts and Canadian Football League’s Baltimore Stallions as well as co-founder of Towson Sports Medicine. “Everybody wants a piece of the pie, so you’re going to probably have a game every night of the week or every day of the week in the future.” It’s inevitable, and it’s all about the money while player safety has been put on the back shelf. Unfortunately, the Ravens might not survive this season unless they start out going 6-2 or 5-3 in the first eight games. Afterward, it’s a gamble. The Ravens play the Denver Broncos in Baltimore on Nov. 3, host the Cincinnati Bengals four days later and then travel to Pittsburgh on Nov. 17. Later in December, they travel to New York for a game with the Giants on Dec. 15 before hosting the Steelers six days later and then flying into Houston for an afternoon game on Christmas Day, the Ravens’ second straight on the holiday that has traditionally been dominated by the NBA. Until now. “If it’s something that’s not good for the players, why aren’t the players speaking up?” Lopez asked. “None of the stars within the league have spoken up about it. I don’t see the NFLPA and their union head talking about it, so it’s big, big money and they’re just going to keep adding more games. “I am glad I don’t have to handle the demands of trying to get players ready to play for the next game.” You could see this coming back in 1961 when the NFL switched to a 14-game schedule and then went to 16 games in 1978. In March 2021, the NFL adopted a 17-game schedule after an agreement with the NFLPA. Based on opponents’ winning percentage, Baltimore has the second-toughest schedule in the league this year. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) The format will eventually go to 18 games and then 20. But as the number of games grows, so will the injuries. The Ravens can’t afford to lose star quarterback Lamar Jackson at any point, but an injury during those short weeks would be devastating. Plus, today’s players are bigger, stronger and faster than those in the 1970s or 1980s, and there are more Sunday, Monday and Thursday night games. “I went through it one year with the old Canadian Football League franchise in Baltimore,” Lopez said. “We played three games in eight days, and I can tell you this, we basically couldn’t practice. It was at best a walk-through. They get out, warm up, jog a little bit, stretch a little bit. Some guys couldn’t even take a jog because they were so beat up. And when you throw travel in on top of that, the question becomes how can you keep going?” “Recovery” has become the new catchphrase in the NFL. Like every other team, the Ravens have their strengths and weaknesses. They have ample depth at running back and in the secondary, but injuries at outside linebacker or on the offensive line would cause serious problems. The Ravens understand the situation, but they can’t complain, not in the public relations-conscious NFL. If you step out a line, a fine will be coming soon. Greedy owners don’t want to talk about multiple games being played in a short window of time because that would affect their cash flow. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | The Ravens are seeing the roster limitations brought on by Lamar Jackson’s contract Baltimore Ravens | Ravens to wear new ‘Purple Rising’ helmet in Week 10 ‘Thursday Night Football’ tilt vs. Bengals Baltimore Ravens | 2 ex-Ravens are investing in a cleat company that they hope can change football Baltimore Ravens | For a slimmer and faster Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, the game is slowing down Baltimore Ravens | Ravens OLB David Ojabo is 100% ready to chase quarterbacks But if player performance and production starts to slip, will that change the direction of where this league appears to be headed? “The Ravens’ success during this stretch will depend on how well they can manage these challenges and maintain their health and performance through the postseason,” said Austin Dews, 26, a Ravens fan, Parkville resident and support specialist for the Veterans Administration. It’s all starting to get out of control as the NFL looks to play more games overseas, which will require more travel time. Until someone speaks up, it’s about money first and player safety is secondary. “The idea of having guys that are 300-plus pounds out there pounding the hell out of each other and playing that many games over a short period of days, I don’t know how you recover,” Lopez said. “When you throw all the travel in on top of it and then you look at the Ravens’ schedule, you go, ‘Holy crap, it’s just crazy.’ “It’s just mind-boggling to see a sport push itself more and more. It’s absolute insanity right now.” View the full article

The Ravens signed quarterback Lamar Jackson to a five-year, $260 million megadeal in April 2023. Now, as they get set to embark on the 2024 season, they are finding out the true cost of the contract. “We may have a couple of hiccups along the way,” general manager Eric DeCosta acknowledged Thursday when asked about the offensive line, which will have three new starters, including what is expected to be a pair of first-year players in guard Andrew Vorhees and rookie right tackle Roger Rosengarten. “I think we’ve started to build from the bottom up, and I think a year from now, we’ll be in a great place.” In some ways, it was a stunning if not revelatory statement from DeCosta, whose stated expectation every season is to win the Super Bowl. But it’s also a cold splash of reality. While the NFL salary cap shot up more than $30 million from $224.8 million in 2023 to $255.4 million this season, the increase did not translate into Baltimore being able to afford to sign a top-tier free agent offensive lineman as it moved on from veteran guards Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson and traded aging right tackle Morgan Moses. The Ravens also had to dish out money elsewhere, notably signing Pro Bowl defensive tackle Justin Madubuike, who was entering the final year of his rookie contract, to a four-year, $98 million extension after he led all NFL interior linemen with 13 sacks last season. DeCosta also made a relatively small free agent splurge in signing four-time Pro Bowl running back Derrick Henry for $16 million over two years — and he saved some money in getting injury-prone left tackle Ronnie Stanley to restructure his pricey contract. And even before Jackson’s contract, Baltimore had big money committed to a handful of spots across its roster. Also eating into the salary cap is the five-year, $100 million contract of Roquan Smith, whom the Ravens signed in January 2023 after acquiring the All-Pro inside linebacker from the Chicago Bears via trade midway through the 2022 season. Meanwhile, cornerback Marlon Humphrey, who is signed through the 2026 season, will count $22.877 million against the cap this year, $25.127 million next season and $22.927 million in 2026 (though it seems unlikely that contract will play out as is without at least getting restructured or the veteran corner getting jettisoned because of his high salary). Then, of course, there’s Jackson. His salary cap numbers help paint the picture of the challenges DeCosta and the Ravens are facing when it comes to having perhaps the league’s best player. A $22.15 million dent last year was followed by a $32.4 million hit this season. The numbers only go up from there — $43.65 million in 2025 and $74.65 million in 2026 and 2027 (though those last two figures will never become reality as Jackson would likely want an extension by then, thus recalculating the numbers). Other ancillary factors have played a part, too. Even before Lamar Jackson’s contract, the Ravens had big money committed to a handful of spots across their roster. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Amid contract negotiations last offseason, Jackson requested that DeCosta sign free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. Though Beckham was coming off a year away from football after the second torn ACL of his career, the general manager obliged, signing the then-30-year-old veteran for one year and $15 million — a significantly higher amount than Beckham’s other main suitor, the New York Jets, were reportedly willing to pay him. Beckham finished with 35 catches for 565 yards and three touchdowns, though he was a valuable locker-room presence to a young wide receiver group. Meanwhile, All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton and Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum will be eligible for extensions next year and figure to be among the highest-paid players at their positions. Cornerback Brandon Stephens, who blossomed last season, is in the final year of his rookie contract and is another player DeCosta would like to keep in Baltimore. But committing all that money to a handful of spots comes at a price. Baltimore is currently $3.579 million over the cap and will restructure some contracts to get compliant. A lack of flexibility has been evident — not just in building this year’s offensive line, but elsewhere on the roster, with the Ravens also thin and lacking quality veteran depth at quarterback, wide receiver, linebacker and defensive line. It has been evident on the field at times, too, most recently in the 30-7 hammering Baltimore took against the Packers in Green Bay in last Saturday’s preseason finale. “If you looked at our games — the Packers game, let’s face it, it was kind of a joke,” DeCosta said. “It was hard to watch in a lot of ways. I couldn’t wait for the game to be over.” Still, when it comes to Jackson’s deal, there is value — and there has been a lot of return on investment. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: With ‘crazy’ Ravens schedule, NFL puts money above player safety | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens to wear new ‘Purple Rising’ helmet in Week 10 ‘Thursday Night Football’ tilt vs. Bengals Baltimore Ravens | 2 ex-Ravens are investing in a cleat company that they hope can change football Baltimore Ravens | For a slimmer and faster Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, the game is slowing down Baltimore Ravens | Ravens OLB David Ojabo is 100% ready to chase quarterbacks At the time he signed it, he was momentarily the highest-paid player in the NFL in terms of total money and average annual salary ($52 million). Since then, he has slipped to fifth and seventh, respectively, but is coming off being named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player for a second time and last year posted career highs in passing yards and completion percentage. Of the players being paid more than Jackson, only Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has won a Super Bowl and is the lone one from the group to join Jackson in having twice been named the NFL’s MVP. “Unfortunately, with a salary-cap league, you just can’t build a team up with veterans at every position,” DeCosta said. “And so, you have to pay players, but you also understand you have to draft and you have to develop young players as well, and we have started to do that on the offensive line. “[I’m] excited about Roger [Rosengarten]. I’m excited about Andrew Vorhees. I’m excited for the future.” Perhaps so, but that might not bode well for the present and the goal of getting to this year’s Super Bowl. View the full article

The Ravens will make history on Nov. 7 when they take the field for their Week 10 “Thursday Night Football” showdown against the AFC North rival Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium. That’s when they will debut a “Purple Rising” helmet, marking the first time in team history that they will wear a helmet that is not black. The alternate helmet is primarily purple, with gold stripes down the middle and the team’s alternate bird head logo outlined in gold. The rest of the uniform will feature Baltimore’s alternate purple jersey and pants combination, last worn in 2022 in a home loss to the Los Angeles Rams. “The reaction to our Purple Rising helmet launch from both players and fans was extremely positive,” Ravens senior vice president of marketing Brad Downs said in a statement. “We can’t wait to debut it in front of a national audience and huge Baltimore crowd this November.” It’s also not the only alternate look the Ravens will display this season. In a Week 4 game against the Buffalo Bills at M&T Bank Stadium on “Sunday Night Football,” Baltimore will wear its all-black uniforms as part of its “Darkness Falls” campaign. Guests of the game in addition to being encouraged to wear all black will receive light-up wristbands that correspond to the night’s entertainment. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | 2 ex-Ravens are investing in a cleat company that they hope can change football Baltimore Ravens | For a slimmer and faster Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, the game is slowing down Baltimore Ravens | Ravens OLB David Ojabo is 100% ready to chase quarterbacks Baltimore Ravens | TE Qadir Ismail, son of Qadry Ismail, is among Ravens’ practice squad additions Baltimore Ravens | An NFL defensive coordinator at age 32? Ravens’ Zach Orr is ‘that special of a guy.’ Last season, the Ravens wore all black in their Week 11 win at home over the Bengals on “Thursday Night Football.” “Sexy,” was how Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson described the all-black look ahead of the game last season. “That’s a sexy color. I like the color.” Outside linebacker Roquan Smith also liked what he saw. “I think of just physical, death row-type defense,” he said. “That’s what I think of when I see black. It’s more of like, ‘OK, show me what you’re about, because, if not, I’m going to show you.’” The Ravens went on to win the game but lost tight end Mark Andrews to an ankle injury in the process. View the full article

Todd Heap was scrolling through Instagram when he saw a video that piqued his interest. The former longtime Ravens tight end quickly dove down the rabbit hole. He watched every video and read every post about this newly formed company, Caddix, trying to revolutionize cleats that alleviate injuries without sacrificing performance. It had all the makings of a successful venture, Heap thought. So he called his former teammate-turned-business-partner, Dennis Pitta. After learning more about Caddix and meeting with its 29-year-old founder Jack Rasmussen, of Catonsville, Heap and Pitta bought in. On Thursday, the two Ravens legends announced their investment in Caddix and acceptance of advisory roles with the cleat company. “To be very frank,” said Pitta, a six-year tight end and 2013 Super Bowl champion with Baltimore, “guys probably don’t pay a lot of attention to their cleats, and cleats haven’t changed a lot throughout the course of my lifetime. … There hasn’t been much innovation.” Rasmussen’s cleat uses Caddix SmartStuds to reduce the rotational force responsible for knee and ankle injuries — the highest burden of injury in terms of time lost among NFL players, according to league data. About a decade ago, Rasmussen was sitting at home watching football with his dad and Caddix’s co-founder, Jeff, when a player’s foot cut into the grass and his knee gave out. Watching an open-field ACL tear on TV felt like a call to action. “I kind of became obsessed with it,” Rasmussen said. He was living in his parents’ garage trying to figure out the way cleats worked — how they spin and give and rotate and interact with real versus artificial grass. He read all sorts of dissertations and extensive studies that, Rasmussen admitted, he wasn’t mentally equipped for. The early designs were him throwing ideas at a wall until something stuck. What he eventually created was a cleat with studs that flex slightly — enough to reduce the risk of injury but not so much that the athlete can feel the difference. The two former Ravens share in other business ventures but this one was sparked by lived experience. Pitta injured his hip multiple times on noncontact plays, which prematurely ended his career. Heap missed 10 games because of an ankle injury in 2004 — a year after artificial turf was installed at M&T Bank Stadium. “I remember the feeling distinctly of my cleat getting stuck in the turf,” said Heap, a member of the Ravens’ Ring of Honor. “If there was any type movement, any type of release or reduction in torque or force, would it have changed my career?” Caddix launched in January, and one of its videos has surpassed 1.3 million views on Instagram. One of those views was from Heap. Rasmussen’s direct messages were flooded but Heap’s name jumped off the page. “I’m like, there’s no way. There’s gotta be two Todd Heaps in the world,” the lifelong Ravens fan said. Heap confirmed it was him and told Rasmussen he was interested in the product. He had “a million questions” and said if Rasmussen was ever in Phoenix they should grab lunch. “Oh, yeah,” he said, “I’m always in Phoenix.” Rasmussen is never in Phoenix. But he wasn’t about to tell Heap that. He happened to be in Colorado, got in his car and drove about 12 hours to meet him, breaking bread and giving his pitch. Then Heap and Pitta were introduced to the rest of Rasmussen’s team. Part of the process of due diligence, Heap said, before investing their time and resources. Dr. Kirk McCullough, who worked as the Kansas City Chiefs team doctor and on the NFL Foot and Ankle Committee, was a major selling point. I-Generator founders Peter Rueeger and Michael Steszyn have worked with every major shoe brand. Now, they’re helping Caddix with material and design consulting. “They have a high-level team and they’re doing things the right way,” Pitta said. “That, first and foremost, allows you to believe that this could be something important.” Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore SunFormer Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta, shown before a 2013 game against the Vikings, had his career cut short by injuries. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Both Heap’s and Pitta’s first concern was whether an athlete would feel the design change. Or worse, whether it might hinder performance. Those fears were alleviated once they tried the cleats out for themselves. Heap also gave his son a pair the cleats to test, too, and “he hasn’t taken them off his feet since he put them on.” Rasmussen joked that his two Ravens business partners are one call away from just about anybody on the planet. They’ve helped introduce the product to numerous former teammates. Rasmussen even made it to a practice in Owings Mills to show coach John Harbaugh, who gave his daughter a pair of girls soccer cleats. Joe Flacco, who threw to both Heap and Pitta in Baltimore, has been rocking an Indianapolis Colts-inspired blue-and-white pair through his new team’s preseason. Pitta said his old quarterback, now 39 years old, plans to wear them into the regular season, too. “He doesn’t have any financial involvement,” Pitta said, “but he believes in the product because he’s tested it firsthand.” Between Rasmussen, a Maryland native, and Heap and Pitta — two NFL veterans who consider Baltimore home — there’s been some push for targeting local. The trio even filmed a commercial last month taking the cleats around the city and into M&T Bank Stadium. Caddix plans to release its cleats to the public in December. “The coolest part about this for us,” Pitta said, “not only it’s a great product but the fact that it’s a Baltimore-based company is really cool. We can kind of help grow and be a part of a Baltimore company and just continue to have those Baltimore ties in our lives. I think that means the most to both Todd and I.” View the full article

“You must be waiting for the fastest slow person in the building,” the female security guard standing outside the door leading from the Ravens’ practice field to the locker room said with an impish smile in the searing heat of the late afternoon summer sun. Quarterback Lamar Jackson is only a blur between the lines. Away from them, he often takes a more measured pace, like when this past offseason he attempted to give a friend a tattoo, carefully trying his skills with an ink gun. “Horrible,” he said of his tattooing ability as he sat down for a recent interview with The Baltimore Sun. “On a scale of 1 to 10, a zero.” Jackson’s skills with a football in hand, of course, rate much higher. It’s why he has been popping up all over the place in recent months — Paris for Fashion Week, New York for a Men’s Health workout video, and Las Vegas where this past February he became the youngest player at age 27 to collect a second NFL Most Valuable Player Award. It was a brief and bittersweet trip, however, with the more elusive Vince Lombardi Trophy handed out a few days later to the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, who beat the Ravens in the AFC championship game on their way to a second straight title and third in five years. It was in that loss to the Chiefs at M&T Bank Stadium that Jackson made one of the more indelible plays in a long list of them — one that was as much emblematic of his dazzling talents but also perhaps of Baltimore’s shortcomings in its quest for its first Super Bowl title in more than a decade. With the Ravens trailing 14-7 with 5 1/2 minutes remaining in the first half and searching to find any kind of rhythm, Jackson dropped back to pass on second-and-5 from his own 18-yard line when blitzing safety Justin Reid batted the quarterback’s attempted dump-off to running back Justice Hill in the left flat skyward. Jackson tracked and chased down the fluttering ball, caught it and raced forward. The official stat line reads, “L. Jackson pass short left to L. Jackson to BLT 31 for 13 yards,” but it was the shoestring tackle by linebacker Drue Tranquill that lingered long after. “I want that to be a touchdown,” Jackson told The Sun when asked which play he would want back from last season. “That would’ve changed the dynamic of the game if I would’ve scored.” And in years past, perhaps he would have. “I was fat,” continues Jackson, noting his weight loss from 230 pounds two seasons ago to 210 last year to about 200 currently. “I had to lose some weight. No way a linebacker should be able to dive and grab my legs like that.” Instead of a potentially history-altering score, the drive ended in a punt. Baltimore knows the rest. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is entering his seventh year in the NFL. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Months later, the painful sting of that defeat has subsided, washed away by the optimism of a new season. But if there was one thing Jackson’s first trip to a conference championship exposed — as if anyone needs to be reminded — it’s that the Ravens can’t solely rely on their star quarterback, even as his successes portend the team’s. There are other reasons for hope in 2024, though — notably Jackson’s increased comfort and involvement in Year 2 of coordinator Todd Monken’s offense after career highs in passing yards and completion percentage, the addition of four-time Pro Bowl running back and two-time NFL rushing champ Derrick Henry, and the burgeoning symmetry between the quarterback and second-year wide receiver Zay Flowers as well as emerging tight end Isaiah Likely. “You would hope it’s only going to get better, and it has,” Monken said. “Systematically and individually, it’s been a great offseason, and he’s been great.” How so? “Just how we do it,” Monken continued. “Just so we are on the same page probably. How do we streamline it to where we are on the same page? Players can anticipate calls, can anticipate situations where we want to go A, B, C, D each week. What are our staples that we want to be able to get to? So, eliminate as much of the guesswork as you can.” With less guesswork and more understanding of one another, Jackson says he appreciates the autonomy afforded him under Monken. One of the more entertaining examples last season came ahead of a key Week 16 showdown against the Miami Dolphins with the top seed in the AFC on the line. Jackson told Monken he was going to drop back as if he were left-handed in the game after having done so successfully in practice. The result of the play was a 75-yard bomb to Flowers with safety Javon Holland crossed up by the quarterback’s movement. “I’m listening to coach, seeing his vision, but certain things I see on the field or what I see on film, I’ll pitch my ideas,” Jackson says. “He’s a smart guy. He has answers. He’ll let me know right away. If he didn’t think about something, we can talk about it or he already has the answer on why we shouldn’t do this or should do that.” Having Henry, who last season rushed for 1,167 yards and 12 touchdowns and four years ago topped the 2,000-yard mark, should take some pressure off, too. The Ravens are long familiar with the 6-foot-2, 247-pound bruiser, whom they tried to acquire just ahead of the trade deadline last year. In Jackson’s other NFL MVP season, 2019, Henry decimated their defense in the playoffs with 198 yards on 30 carries for the Titans in a stunning 28-12 divisional round upset in Baltimore. And even at age 30 — a time when most backs’ production falls off a cliff — he has shown little in the way of slowing down. In his final game for Tennessee last season, Henry gashed the Houston Texans for 153 yards and hit 21.7 mph in the process, according to Next Gen Stats. But perhaps most intriguing or promising are the bonds Jackson has forged with Flowers and Likely. Lamar Jackson, left, has forged bonds with wide receiver Zay Flowers, middle, and tight end Isaiah Likely, right. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) The day after last season’s AFC title game — during which Flowers had a critical fumble as he stretched for the goal line in the fourth quarter — the quarterback visited the wide receiver’s home. He wanted to enlighten the then-rookie to the kind of reaction that would follow and to let him know the outcome was bigger than just one play. It was a big brother moment of sorts, which is how Jackson describes his relationship with the fellow South Floridian, but it wasn’t the only one. The two spent part of their offseason working out and hanging out. On the youth field where Jackson competed against Flowers’ brothers as a member of the Pompano Beach Cowboys, Flowers caught one pass after another from the quarterback. Off it, they grew even closer. “We were just working on timing, and sometimes it was me adding something to the top of the route or me doing a move that he likes,” Flowers told The Sun. “It’s just good being around each other. You don’t have to throw to have a connection — it’s better to throw, but hanging out and being with somebody, that will give you more of a feeling of how a person is.” Jackson is already well-acquainted with how Likely is and what his impact could be. Over his first two seasons, he has 66 catches for 784 yards and eight touchdowns, five of which came last year. He’s been a more than sufficient fill-in for when Mark Andrews has suffered injuries the past two years, including last season when he missed the final six games of the regular season and the divisional round of the playoffs. But this year, Jackson’s eyes widen over the possibilities and expectations of having Andrews and Likely on the field at the same time — and for good reason. Last year, the Ravens were one of the best teams in the NFL at getting a first down or scoring a touchdown when Andrews and Likely were both on the field. But it was a rare occurrence. According to TruMedia, Andrews and Likely were on the field for just 6.9% of Jackson’s passes. “That’s a two-headed monster right there,” Jackson says. “This year [Likely] is gonna be out of this world. We’ve seen it in practice. Every day he’s making something happen making a spectacular catch.” Jackson notes one play in particular that happened in a walk-through practice not open to the media when he threw a high pass against a quarters defense in which Likely went up and snared the overthrown ball with one hand while falling to the ground. “We were like ‘What the heck?’” Jackson said. “He’s what a quarterback wants.” Yet, there were and still are times when Jackson’s footwork can get sloppy, leading to inaccurate throws, short and deep. Other times, he has struggled to remain consistent in his progressions. But there’s been plenty of progress, too. Jackson has more input and better command of the offense. Last season, his scrambles outpaced his designed runs for the first time. And he often stayed behind the line — sometimes admittedly to his detriment — buying time with his feet as he worked to his third or even fourth target. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | 2 ex-Ravens are investing in a cleat company that they hope can change football Baltimore Ravens | Ravens OLB David Ojabo is 100% ready to chase quarterbacks Baltimore Ravens | TE Qadir Ismail, son of Qadry Ismail, is among Ravens’ practice squad additions Baltimore Ravens | An NFL defensive coordinator at age 32? Ravens’ Zach Orr is ‘that special of a guy.’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ initial 53-man roster is set: Beau Brade, Rasheen Ali, Sanoussi Kane make cut Now in his seventh year in the league, Jackson attributes his growth and understanding of the scheme to being older and more mature as a player. “The game has slowed down a little for me,” he told The Sun. “I can react faster to certain things.” Coach John Harbaugh has been unusually effusive in his praise, particularly earlier in training camp when he put Jackson on an even higher pedestal. “The vision that we have together is that Lamar Jackson is going to become and be known and be recognized as the greatest quarterback ever to play in the history of the National Football League,” he said. “That’s the vision. It’s going to happen by Lamar, his work ethic and his brilliant talent, by all of us pouring into that effort, together as a team, teamwork, and by the grace of God and God’s goodwill. That’s how it’s going to happen. And I believe it like we’ve already seen it.” Jackson demurred. “I’m not the GOAT, Tom Brady [is] the GOAT,” he said. “Yes, I believe that’s motivation — I appreciate that; I’m still on my way.” View the full article

David Ojabo did not think much of it at first — a sprained ankle suffered when an Indianapolis Colts blocker rolled up on his leg in the third game of last season. Ojabo had recorded his first sack of the year in the season opener and had played 70% of the Ravens’ defensive snaps in Week 2, signs he was on track for the breakout he and many others expected after he spent most of his rookie season rehabilitating a torn Achilles tendon. Surely, a throbbing ankle would not derail him for long. And then Ojabo’s knee began to swell. Six days after the Colts game, the Ravens placed him on injured reserve. Coach John Harbaugh talked of “some decisions that have to be made, that he has to make.” Almost a year later, Ojabo is at peace with the route he chose — surgery to repair a partially torn ACL instead of gritting his teeth and playing at less than his best. The 24-year-old outside linebacker is also acutely aware that he’s played just five NFL games in two years. He faces urgent pressure to drag his career back on track. If it does not happen in 2024, the chorus of skeptics crying “bust” will be emboldened. On top of that, the Ravens need him to become the dynamic edge rusher he was projected to be after he produced 11 sacks, 12 tackles for loss and five forced fumbles in his one season as a starter at Michigan. Scouts who watched him spin and stutter step past helpless college blockers said he would be a first-round pick until his Achilles gave out during a pre-draft workout. Many saw it as a steal when the Ravens swooped in to take him in the second round. Their upside play has not worked out so far, but with their top edge rusher from 2023, Jadeveon Clowney, now in Carolina, they need Ojabo to complement his close friend, Odafe Oweh, and veteran Kyle Van Noy. “There’s no better feeling than that,” Ojabo said of the team’s high expectations for him. “We all want to feel like we’re special [and] feel like we’re depended on, and it’s on me to put in the work to make that vision come to life. So, it’s a blessing, man.” Doctors finally cleared Ojabo for game action in the Ravens’ second preseason contest against the Atlanta Falcons. He looked better than ever, bursting off the edge for a hurry and a quarterback hit and holding his ground against outside runs. “I kind of expect him to play like that, but to see it out there the very first game, it was really neat because he wasn’t tentative at all,” Harbaugh said. “He was in a good mindset — in a game-day mindset, and he hadn’t played that much in the last couple of years, so that was a quite a statement from him that way. Really, the way he’s been practicing is the way he played, so that’s what you want to see.” “We all want to feel like we’re special [and] feel like we’re depended on, and it’s on me to put in the work to make that vision come to life,” Ravens outside linebacker David Ojabo said. “So, it’s a blessing, man.”As encouraging as the performance was for Ojabo and Ravens coaches, it was equally so for his closest teammates, who spent every day with him through the disappointments of last year. Earlier in the summer, Oweh, who has been tight with Ojabo since they were high school teammates at Blair Academy in New Jersey, said: “He’s just waiting to show you guys all that, when it’s sharpened and ready.” He had worked beside Ojabo in Atlanta under the watchful eye of pass rush instructor Dez Walker and sensed the storm brewing in his friend. “I have complete faith in him,” Oweh said. When you talk with Ojabo about his travails, the word faith comes up in a hurry. Yes, he hated not being able to do his job, help his team, chase quarterbacks alongside his buddies. But he did not curse fate. Instead, he leaned on the unbreakable trust he feels in God, his tight-knit family and friends such as Oweh and Ravens defensive tackle Justin Madubuike. “ just stayed prayed up,” he said. “I have a very strong family. I have a good base around here. ‘Dafe’ [Odafe Oweh] is like my brother, ‘Beeks’ [Justin Madubiuke is] like my brother, so I live through them. Those three things — God, family, friends — I really honed in on that, and of course, the work, man. Nothing comes easy, so I just put my head down and worked. That’s all I know, so I’m right back.” Harbaugh noticed how Ojabo remained centered despite the gnawing disappointment of two lost seasons. He didn’t need to do anything special to lift the young pass rusher’s spirits. “I can’t tell you how many conversations David and I have had that are just awesome conversations — about a lot of things,” Harbaugh said. “He’s very smart, [and] he’s a very deep thinker — kind of a philosopher, he really is, and I learn a lot talking to him. He’s kept his head on straight and keeps things in perspective. He’s got a really strong family. I don’t know that I really had to say anything other than the fact that conversation is good sometimes, but he’s been in a good place. I think he gets down because he wants to get out there and contribute, and he wants to be a part of it, but he’s excited to get going.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | 2 ex-Ravens are investing in a cleat company that they hope can change football Baltimore Ravens | For a slimmer and faster Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, the game is slowing down Baltimore Ravens | TE Qadir Ismail, son of Qadry Ismail, is among Ravens’ practice squad additions Baltimore Ravens | An NFL defensive coordinator at age 32? Ravens’ Zach Orr is ‘that special of a guy.’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ initial 53-man roster is set: Beau Brade, Rasheen Ali, Sanoussi Kane make cut Between his rehabilitation work with doctors and trainers and his fine-tuning under Walker and Ravens pass rush coach Chuck Smith, Ojabo did not hesitate to answer “yes sir” when asked recently if he’s 100% ready for the season. His thoughtfulness was apparent when he explained why he’s feeling so upbeat. He pointed to the experience of his new defensive coordinator, Zach Orr, who learned he had a career-ending congenital spine condition just as he completed his best season with the Ravens. Ojabo draws from that not a parable of disappointment but one on cherishing these moments. “You never know when it’s going to be your last snap,” he said. “I’m in a very blessed position playing in the NFL for one of the best organizations, so every day I’m out here, [I’m] smiling through it and making it my best day.” Ravens outside linebacker David Ojabo flashed his immense potential in his return to action Aug. 17 against the Falcons. (Terrance Williams/AP) View the full article

A familiar name will be with the Ravens this season. Tight end Qadir Ismail, the son of former Baltimore wide receiver Qadry Ismail, was signed to the practice squad on Wednesday, a day after getting cut and then clearing waivers, a source with direct knowledge of the move confirmed to The Baltimore Sun. The undrafted free agent is one of what is expected to be 16 players who will make up the group. “The thing that comes to mind is how I proud I am of him,” Qadry Ismail, who spent 10 years in the NFL with five teams and spent several years as the Ravens’ radio color commentator, told The Baltimore Sun. “Knowing the work that we put into it and then for him to get into camp and to have the type of camp that he had just shows his dedication to his craft and getting better. [I have] great appreciation for the Ravens as an organization and I’m very humble and grateful for it all.” Ismail was one of several additions confirmed by The Sun as of early Wednesday afternoon. Also returning after being waived is rookie sixth-round draft pick quarterback Devin Leary, who despite struggling in the preseason and completing just 15 of 28 passes for 95 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions in three games, was re-signed. Viewed as a developmental prospect with a big arm and good athleticism, he is currently behind two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson and 38-year-old veteran Josh Johnson on the depth chart. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | An NFL defensive coordinator at age 32? Ravens’ Zach Orr is ‘that special of a guy.’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ initial 53-man roster is set: Beau Brade, Rasheen Ali, Sanoussi Kane make cut Baltimore Ravens | Ravens training camp, August 26, 2024 | PHOTOS Baltimore Ravens | The Ravens have started trimming their roster and made decisions on their OL. Here’s what we know. Baltimore Ravens | Ravens 53-man roster projection as final cuts loom: ‘Important evaluations’ Others who were cut but re-signed with the practice squad, according to sources with direct knowledge, included running backs Chris Collier and John Kelly, wide receivers Malik Cunningham and Dayton Wade, cornerback Ka’Dar Hollman, defensive lineman C.J. Ravenell, inside linebacker Josh Ross, outside linebacker Joe Evans and guard Darrian Dalcourt. Baltimore can have as many as 16 players on its practice squad with an additional spot allowed for anyone from the NFL’s International Player Pathway. The Ravens also did not have any players claimed by other teams following Tuesday’s cuts, nor did they claim any on waivers. Practice squads are allowed a maximum of 10 players who have zero to two years of NFL experience and a maximum of six players with unlimited accrued time. This article will be updated. View the full article