Expectations are always high on Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens, but the team has yet to take home the top prize since the quarterback’s emergence as its true QB1. They have always been a solid performer in the NFL regular season and carried promise into the postseason, largely because of who their quarterback is, but the Ravens just haven’t gotten over that hump yet in the playoffs.
That is especially true about the last two seasons for Jackson and company, when they topped the AFC North division twice but failed to reach the Super Bowl.
With the addition of running back Derrick Henry in the 2024 offseason, many thought that the Ravens would be able win a Super Bowl ticket in the Lamar Jackson era, but after winning 12 games in the regular season and beating the Pittsburgh Steelers int he wild-card round, they saw their season end in the AFC Divisional Round at the hands of the Buffalo Bills.
ESPN’s analyst gets blunt about the Baltimore Ravens’ 2025 outlook
Field Yates of ESPN believes that the Ravens are at the point where their season will only be defined by whether they win the Super Bowl or not. It’s Vince Lombardi Trophy or bust for the Ravens in the eyes of Yates.
“So now, on paper, this should be a no-excuses year for Baltimore, right?” Yates said. “I don’t sit there and identify a single area on the roster where I say, I’m not so sure that’s quality enough to potentially compete for a championship. Baltimore feels like they have sort of built this thing and built this thing and built it further, that this year the bar will not be measured by doing things in the playoffs. It’s going to be, are we holding the Lombardi Trophy in Santa Clara, California?”
Baltimore added some notable names in the offseason, most notably wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and cornerback Jaire Alexander. Hopkins is past his prime, but he can be a valuable field-stretcher for the Jackson-led Ravens attack, while Alexander, when healthy and available, will be a menace downfield for opposing wideouts.
Jun 11, 2025; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh speaks after an NFL OTA at Under Armour Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
