Ben Roethlisberger Says Ravens Are 'Falling Apart, Window Has Closed'
The Ravens are widely regarded by pundits as the team to beat in the AFC North and a Super Bowl contender, and the oddsmakers agree.
One person who disagrees is former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
On his “Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger” podcast, he didn't pull any punches about his belief that the Ravens are a team on the decline.
"I think they're falling apart. I really … I don't think they're the same team," Roethlisberger said. "These feel different. They feel like their window closed.
"To me, losing [John] Harbaugh … [Derrick] Henry's a year older, his body's taken a beating. You just feel like, 'What was going on with Lamar [Jackson] last year?' He just didn't seem like the Lamar that we've been used to seeing. Maybe he was injured. I think he took some shots last year that we didn't think about. So, maybe he'll have a bounce-back year and be great again."
Roethlisberger did offer some hope. He predicted the Ravens and Steelers would split their meetings during the regular season.
Ultimately, Roethlisberger had the Steelers going 12-5 and winning the division. He didn't predict final records for the other AFC North teams.
As to Roethlisberger's suggestion that Henry could be slowing down, it's worth pointing out that the five-time Pro Bowl running back got stronger as the season went on last year.
Henry had four consecutive 100-yard games – including a 216-yard output in Week 17 – to close out the season. In the season finale at Pittsburgh on Jan. 4 – Henry's 32nd birthday – he ran for 126 yards and a touchdown, averaging 6.3 yards per carry.
And, yes, Jackson was injured for much of last season.
Pundit Criticizes Trey Hendrickson's Contract
Speaking of contrarian opinions …
Even though Trey Hendrickson was arguably the biggest prize in free agency this offseason, Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon ranked the All-Pro edge rusher's four-year, $112 million deal with the Ravens as the seventh-worst contract entering the 2026 season.
"The 31-year-old is coming off a season derailed by lingering core muscle injuries," Gagnon wrote. "There's a good chance that contributes to his decline entering his 10th season."
Hendrickson, who underwent core muscle surgery in December, said he is "ready to go" and feels "great" during his introductory press conference in March. He was impressive during OTAs, both on the field and as a leader in the edge rushers room.
"I am just very excited, and very, very, very pleased with Trey up to this point, and I am excited to have him on our side," Head Coach Jesse Minter said at OTAs a few weeks ago.
As noted in Late for Work last week, Ravens in 5's Gordon McGuinness said Hendrickson is the best pass rusher the Ravens have ever had.
It's indisputable that Hendrickson was one of the top pass rushers in the league in 2023 and 2024, finishing with 17.5 sacks each season. In seven games last year before his season-ending injury, Hendrickson ranked seventh in the league in pass rush win rate.
As for Hendrickson's contract, his $28 million average annual salary ranks 13th among edge rushers, per Over the Cap.
Two Questions Ravens Need to Answer Before Training Camp
With last week's mandatory minicamp completed and training camp more than a month away, The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec identified five questions the Ravens will need to answer in the interim.
Here's a look at two:
Do the Ravens truly believe they have a quality starting center on their roster?
"Following their final minicamp practice, Ravens coach Jesse Minter declined to name a front-runner for the starting center job, calling it a 'balanced competition.' He proceeded to mention the three competitors for the job: Danny Pinter, Jovaughn Gwyn and Corey Bullock. If how the repetitions were divvied up throughout the offseason program is any indication, Pinter is the clear favorite. The 29-year-old is the only one of the three who has started an NFL game, although the former Indianapolis Colt has made only 10 starts over five seasons.
"After striking out on his top center targets during the draft, General Manager Eric DeCosta made clear that the team would look at the trade market to potentially find a successor for Tyler Linderbaum. Few teams are dangling quality starting offensive linemen in trades this time of year, so the Ravens may have no choice but to overpay if they aren't comfortable with their internal options."
Are there any other areas where the Ravens really need an established veteran or two?
"Are the Ravens comfortable with the idea of having some combination of third-year pro Devontez Walker, second-year player LaJohntay Wester and rookies Ja'Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt as their third, fourth and fifth wide receiver options? If they are not, the wide receiver free-agent pool includes Stefon Diggs, DeAndre Hopkins, Keenan Allen, Deebo Samuel and quite a few others.
"Do the Ravens feel like they have enough talent at outside linebacker beyond Trey Hendrickson for their pass rush to morph from a weakness to a major strength? If there is trepidation about the inexperience of that group, which includes Mike Green, Tavius Robinson, Zion Young and Adisa Isaac, they could seek veteran help. Available free-agent outside linebackers include Joey Bosa, Von Miller, Kyle Van Noy, Jadeveon Clowney, Haason Reddick and Cam Jordan."
Which Players Are Most Important to Jackson's Success This Season?
“Good Morning Football’s” Willie Colon and Manti T’eo each named their top five most important people to Jackson's success this season.
Unsurprisingly, Minter, Offensive Coordinator Declan Doyle, Henry, wide receiver Zay Flowers, and Jackson himself, were mentioned. Here are three others:
LT Ronnie Stanley
"When he's in the lineup and he's anchoring that line, you start to see the magic happen for the Baltimore Ravens," Colon said. "He still needs to be able to protect Lamar's blind side, and also, he's the elder statesman in that locker room. We need to hear more out of him."
TE Mark Andrews
"We know he's Lamar's security blanket," Colon said. "Mr. Dependable. He's been there forever. He has to continue to show up for Lamar."
K Tyler Loop
"If they have confidence in Tyler Loop, you don't have to go for it every time on fourth down," Te'o said. "We can take the three instead of the seven. Give some assurance to Jesse Minter that we can get the field goals."
