The Baltimore Ravens head into 2026 with a new look on the sideline, a reshaped staff, and plenty of belief that this can be the year they finally push through. John Harbaugh is gone after the offseason change, but the roster still gives Baltimore real reason to think big.
Start with Lamar Jackson, who remains the centerpiece of everything the Ravens want to do. Despite some chatter that this could be his last season in Baltimore and the team’s slow pace on a new deal, Jackson is focused on the year ahead. He’ll now work with offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, one of the league’s brightest young minds, and expectations are high after Doyle helped Caleb Williams make a sizable jump in Chicago last year.
The offense should look different, too. Jackson is set to spend more time under center than he has in past seasons, which should open the door for more play-action.
The Ravens also should lean harder into pre-snap movement to create confusion and better matchups, while Derrick Henry figures to see more downhill running. Even if Jackson is asked to run less, his ability to break off a scramble still forces defenses to stay honest.
On the other side of the ball, Jesse Minter arrives as another rising coaching name with a chance to clean up a defense that has had issues, especially getting after opposing passers. Baltimore took a swing for Maxx Crosby before that deal fell through, then settled on Trey Hendrickson to give the pass rush a real anchor. Calais Campbell’s return should help, too, especially for the young players in the front seven who get to learn from one of the best to ever do it.
Minter’s hiring carries another layer of intrigue because Baltimore just watched its former defensive coordinator become the third-youngest Super Bowl-winning head coach in history. Now the Ravens are hoping Minter, who is in his second stint with the team after coaching defensive backs a few years back, can follow that same path.
There’s also a fresh wrinkle at wide receiver. Third-round pick Ja’Kobi Lane brings a huge catch radius and the kind of contested-catch ability Baltimore hasn’t really had at the position.
The Ravens have rarely built their receiver room around players with Lane’s frame, and the few who fit that mold before weren’t nearly as polished. His presence should add another layer to an offense that already has Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews working the middle of the field.
And then there’s the division picture, which helps frame why the Ravens are drawing so much confidence. Aaron Rodgers looked far from his old self in his first season in Pittsburgh, while Cleveland remains a mess at quarterback. That leaves Cincinnati as Baltimore’s biggest threat in the AFC North.
The betting markets back that up. Baltimore is listed at +105 to win the division at Fanduel, ahead of the Bengals (+160), Steelers (+500) and Browns (1900). The Ravens also have the second-shortest odds to reach the Super Bowl in the AFC at +490, and they’re second among AFC teams to win Super Bowl LXI at +1300, behind Buffalo in both cases.
In Other News...
Former Ravens QB Flop Suddenly Matters To Baltimore Fans Again
Cooper Rushs next stop has already put him back in the spotlight around Baltimore. After spending time as a backup quarterback for the Ravens, Rush moved on to Atlanta this offseason, where his role suddenly got a lot more interesting once the Falcons had to adjust to an injury situation involving their starter, Tua Tagovailoa. Rush has been taking first-team reps in practice, and the possibility of him opening the season at quarterback has turned a familiar name into a topic Ravens fans are watching again.
For Baltimore, the interest is less about what Rush did in purple and more about what his path says about the quarterback carousel in the league. A player who once looked like depth chart filler now has a real chance to matter in a Week 1 matchup against the Steelers, even though no final decision has been announced yet. It is a reminder that backup quarterbacks can go from footnote to storyline fast, especially when an injury forces a team to rethink everything right before the season starts. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Are About To Find Out What Trenton Simpson Can Handle
The Ravens spent the preseason protecting a lot of their core pieces, and that included linebacker Trenton Simpson, whose workload now looks a lot different with injuries still affecting the roster. Simpson has been sitting in that in-between space for a while, somewhere between a full-time starting job and a heavy special-teams role, but the next step for him could come quickly with Baltimore needing more from him against the Colts.
Coaches have liked the way Simpson has developed and the flexibility he brings to the defense, and this week will give them a better read on how far that versatility can carry. Indianapolis has a habit of challenging linebackers in short-yardage passing situations, which makes this a useful measuring stick for a player who is suddenly being asked to do more than just fill in around the edges. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Put Week 1 Pressure On An Unproven Starter
Jovaughn Gwyn is stepping into one of the more important jobs on the Ravens offense at a time when every detail up front matters. Baltimore named Gwyn the starting center over Ethan Pocic, a decision that underscores how much the staff liked what it saw from him in training camp and the preseason, even with limited prior playing experience. Lamar Jackson and Jesse Minter have both shown confidence in Gwyn, and now the rookie-level spotlight shifts from practice fields to real game speed.
The timing is hardly subtle, either, with the Ravens opening against the Indianapolis Colts and their reputation for generating pressure. Center is a position where one clean snap or one missed call can swing a drive, so Gwyn will be under the microscope from the first series on. Baltimore clearly believes he is ready, but Week 1 will provide the first real test of whether that trust is well placed. [Read more 🡒]