It goes without saying that Ben Roethlisberger is not a fan favorite in Baltimore. As the Steelers’ quarterback, Roethlisberger handed the Ravens some gut-wrenching losses that included two in the postseason, one on Christmas Day, 2016 and another overtime in Week 18 of the 2021 season that ultimately was the final regular-season game of his 18-year career.
Roethlisberger has once again drawn the ire of Ravens fans after he offered a very grim assessment of the current state of their team on his podcast. Baltimore, a non-playoff team in 2025, underwent drastic changes this offseason that included dismissing longtime coach John Harbaugh and replacing him with former Chargers defense coordinator Jesse Minter.
“I think they’re falling apart. I really … I don’t think they’re the same team,” Roethlisberger stated, via the Ravens’ website. “These feel different. They feel like their window closed.
“To me, losing 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.”
With Roethlisberger could end up being right, to say that Baltimore’s window has closed may be a bit premature.
The Ravens still have one of the league’s players in Jackson, a two-time league MVP who — as Roethlisberger alluded to — dealt with injuries last season but still managed to perform at a high level when he was able to play. In 13 games last season, Jackson threw 21 touchdowns (against just seven interceptions) and led the league in average yards gained per pass completion.
Lamar Jackson
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Roethlisberger also mentioned Henry, who followed up his All-Pro season of 2024 with another big season in 2025. Henry’s 1,595 rushing yards last season was the third-highest single-season total in NFL history for a player who was over the age of 30. He did have a few critical fumbles, however, that contributed to Baltimore missing the playoffs for the first time since 2021.
Baltimore’s roster includes other key mainstays in linebacker Roquan Smith, defensive backs Kyle Hamilton and Marlon Humphrey, and defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, who recently underwent neck surgery after missing most of the 2025 season.
During free agency, the Ravens emphatically addressed their formally meager pass rush by signing Trey Hendrickson, a four-time Pro Bowler who paced the NFL with a combined 35 sacks during the 2023 and ’24 seasons. Baltimore’s other notable offseason acquisitions included veteran offensive lineman Danny Pinter and John Simpson, veteran defensive end Calais Campbell, rookie left guard Olaivavega Ioane, rookie pass rusher Zion Young and rookie wideouts Ja’Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt.
In Minter, the Ravens hired a defense-minded coach who will look to restore Baltimore’s tradition of formidable defensive units. As Michigan’s defensive coordinator in 2023, he overlooked a unit that allowed an average of just 10.4 points per game, the nation’s lowest. Minter’s defense gave up just 13 points during Michigan’s win over Washington in the College Football Playoff National Championship.
Like every team, the Ravens have their question marks. Will their revamped offensive line find cohesion? Will Henry, now 32, continue to perform at a high level? Can Jackson stay healthy for a duration of a season? Did Baltimore do enough to improve what was an average defense this offseason? Will the rookies come of age fast enough to make an impact in 2026? Will Minter be up to the task as a first-time head coach?
All of those questions — and others — will undoubtedly be answered as the 2026 season progresses. But, on paper at least, the Ravens appear to have enough talent to contend in what appears to be a wide-open AFC. And if more than a few things go their way, Jackson and the Ravens could surprise many — Roethlisberger included — by finally breaking through and reaching the Super Bowl for the first time since 2012.
And while he clearly doesn’t expect much of them this year, Roethlisberger does have the Ravens splitting their season series against the Steelers, the team that formally sent Baltimore home for the winter during the final regular-season game of the 2025 season.
