TE Mark Andrews
Andrews' fourth-quarter fumble and dropped two-point conversion in the Ravens' playoff loss to the Bills has undoubtedly stung all offseason. That pain got a layer of motivation when the schedule revealed a Week 1 rematch in Buffalo. Andrews has a chance for immediate redemption.
WR Zay Flowers
After Flowers missed the playoffs due to a knee injury, he said it "took a little toll on me." Thus, Flowers had to also get a boost of adrenaline seeing a date with the Bills first on the 2025 slate. Flowers avoided offseason knee surgery, Head Coach John Harbaugh said, and should be ready to go for the opener.
S Malaki Starks
The Ravens will see the who's who of NFL quarterbacks from the jump. In the first six games, they'll face reigning MVP Josh Allen, Jared Goff, who had the second-most passing yards in the league last season, three-time Super Bowl winner Patrick Mahomes, C.J. Stroud, and one-time Super Bowl winner Matthew Stafford. That's a lot of aerial firepower for the rookie to start his career looking to intercept.
QB Lamar Jackson (Buffalo)
We won't know Jackson's feelings about not being awarded with a third MVP because he hasn't spoken to the media since. Jackson has always been much more interested in winning team championships than individual awards, but Jackson was more than deserving last season. Now he'll square off against the man who won it, Allen, to start the season.
QB Lamar Jackson (Miami)
It's also interesting that Jackson will go back to Miami for a "Thursday Night Football" game in Week 9. One of the toughest games of Jackson's career was on "Thursday Night Football" in Miami in 2021, when the Dolphins' relentless blitz stymied the Ravens and held them to 10 points, which is tied for the fewest points the Ravens have scored in a regular-season game Jackson has started. Jackson handles blitzes significantly better now and he'll be looking to have a better time in his home state this season.
K Tyler Loop
The Ravens rookie is in line to be Justin Tucker's replacement. He'll be in some likely high-pressure and challenging conditions down the stretch. The Ravens will face the rival Bengals and Steelers four times in the final six regular-season games, with the division potentially hanging in the balance. M&T Bank Stadium is a tough place to kick and blustery Pittsburgh and Lambeau Field in late December won't be walks in the park.
RB Derrick Henry
Henry ran for 447 yards in the Ravens' final three regular-season games last season. With a cold and tough slate in the final six games, Baltimore will likely lean on its physically punishing running back again. Opponents can't like seeing 6-foot-2, 247-pound Henry and the Ravens on their schedule late in the season.
WR DeAndre Hopkins
Hopkins will go against two of his former teams in the first five weeks. He spent last season with the Chiefs and will make the trip back to Arrowhead in Week 4. Then he follows that up with a home game against his former Texans, the team that drafted him. Hopkins will have some additional motivation at the start of his Ravens tenure.
OLB Mike Green
The Ravens will face some strong offensive lines at the start of the season. The Bills, Lions, and Chiefs had some of the best O-lines last year. Kanas City has had some turnover on that unit, which the Ravens will test. The Texans also completely overhauled its blocking unit. It will be a series of intriguing tests for Green as he looks to get off to a hot start.
G Andrew Vorhees
The Ravens won't have many new starters this season. Vorhees could be one of them, as he's the favorite to step in at left guard after Patrick Mekari's departure. He and the Ravens will battle some strong defensive linemen to start the season, including the Bills' Ed Oliver, Browns rookie No. 5-overall pick Mason Graham, Lions' Aidan Hutchinson, and Chiefs' Chris Jones.
QB Joe Flacco
The former Ravens quarterback will likely be the Browns' starter at the beginning of the season considering Cleveland's other option would be Kenny Pickett or a Day 3 rookie, Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders. That means the now 40-year-old Flacco is likely to play in M&T Bank Stadium in Week 2, his first game back in Baltimore since he was wearing purple in 2018. It's a reunion game for the Ravens' former Super Bowl MVP.
