The Ravens plan on handling high expectations for 2025 by handling their business.
It's not hard to find members of the national media who believe the Ravens have the NFL’s best roster, one which makes them a summer favorite to win Super Bowl LX in February.
Being the underdog is a role that Baltimore won't get to play very often in 2025. However, veterans Ronnie Stanley, Mark Andrews, and Nnamdi Madubuike aren't concerned that the Ravens will lose their edge or bypass the daily details it will take to complete their mission.
"It's about getting better every day, not being complacent with what you are, or who you think you are," Andrews said. "We can't be complacent in that area and continue to grow as a team, stay together, and just work on getting better. We have a very talented team, so it's about growing off of that."
Making the playoffs the past three seasons but not reaching the Super Bowl is enough to keep the Ravens focused heading into camp, according to Stanley. Leaving the field after losing to the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round was bitterly disappointing, a feeling Stanley hasn't forgotten. It hasn't demoralized him, and it will drive him.
"I don't think I necessarily flushed it quickly," Stanley said. "It's something that took time to process, and it kind of eats you up throughout the whole offseason, but it's motivation, nonetheless, to use for this season. I think everyone that was part of that team knows how tough that was, and it's only going to make us better."
Starting 0-2 last season is something the Ravens haven't forgotten either. They will start training camp on Wednesday, determined to get out of the gate faster, particularly on defense after surrendering at least 25 points in seven of their first 10 games in 2024.
Baltimore drafted safety Malaki Starks in the first round and signed veteran corners Jaire Alexander and Chidobe Awuzie during the offseason. The Ravens now have a secondary ranked as the NFL’s best by Pro Football Focus, one that includes five former first-round picks.
Madubuike sees no reason why the defense can't be dominant from Week 1, but he hasn't forgotten last year's start, or the Buffalo playoff game. Regardless of how good pundits expect Baltimore's defense to be, Madubuike said the team's performance during the Buffalo loss still annoys him.
"It just wasn't our best play, and it wasn't a good loss to digest in the offseason," Madubuike said. "So, we're definitely hungry this camp to get our juices flowing, get back to playing the type of football that we know we can play."
A 2016 first-round pick, Stanley is now the team's longest tenured player. That gives him perspective on how to handle this year's expectations, and he's passing along that knowledge to teammates. Entering his ninth training camp with Baltimore, Stanley likes the vibe he's getting. He believes that people who are expecting a special season from the Ravens will be proven right.
"I think guys are definitely more hungry," Stanley said. "I think it's more [feeling] irritable of how far we come and how close we get, but also very positive and confident energy around the building.
"The sky is the limit on what this team can do. We can do everything we want to do and more, and I feel like we are very capable, and we have the people to do it."
