3 Reasons To Feel Pessimistic About the Baltimore Ravens in 2026

We’re counting down the hours until the Baltimore Ravens kick off their 2026 regular season with a road game as 3.5-point favorites against the Colts.

General feeling around the league is that the Ravens will be one of the top contenders in the AFC, with the team returning several of its top playmakers on offense and defense.

Nonetheless, one has to wonder if optimism has been exaggerated, especially when taking in account sweeping changes to the coaching staff and some of the lost talent that might not have been appropriately restocked.

Here are four reasons to feel pessimistic about the Baltimore Ravens for the 2026 regular season:

Age could soon become a factor at several key spots

The Ravens have a number of players on the wrong side of 30 still playing or expected to be playing key roles this year. That list includes running back Derrick Henry, left tackle Ronnie Stanley, tight end Mark Andrews, cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Chidobe Awuzie, and newcomers Trey Hendrickson, Calais Campell and Ethan Pocic.

While nobody is saying that Baltimore will definitely witness a collective fall off the cliff in 2026 for all of those players, it does look like a long list, putting the Ravens among the NFL’s oldest rosters in average age.

The worst part isn’t the age in itself, but the realization that not all those positions seem properly backed up with enough proven talent on the current depth chart.

Interior offensive line

While expected, losing center Tyler Linderbaum in free agency was a punch in the gut for a team already suffering some problems on the inside. The team’s first option to succeed him, Danny Pinter, suffered a torn patellar tendon during a joint practice with the Vikes, and who knows how long it will take veteran free agent addition Ethan Pocic to start as he’s coming back from an Achilles’ suffered last December while playing for Cleveland. The team’s current starting center is Jovaughn Gwyn, a guy who’s played 11 offensive snaps in three years in the league, none of them at center.

First-round rookie Olaivavega Ioane should have no problems manning the right guard, but there’s still no guarantees for any first year players, ever. And, the left guard spot should also be treated as a question mark, as it now belongs to John Simpson, who returns to Baltimore after spending the last two years with the Jets. Simpson was the fourth lowest-graded Jets player on offense last year, while leading all offensive linemen in the NFL for penalty yardage, so there’s that.

There’s a good chance that Baltimore will finish the season looking very different on the inside than how they will start Week 1.

Inexperience at the top

The Ravens completely revamped their top four coaching positions -- head coach, offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator -- hiring individuals with zero prior experience for three of those jobs. That could turn out risky.

Expectations are sky-high for head coach Jesse Minter as he returns to the team where he led defensive backs not too long ago, and he brings Declan Doyle to coordinate his offense, one of the young brilliant offensive minds in the league. Anthony Levine Jr. takes the reins on special teams, where he’s the franchise’s all-time leader in special teams tackles.

Nobody is saying these guys won’t be successful, but not all great coaches in the league become a hit right away. Some need time to learn the role and everything it entails, including the administrative and managerial parts, which are often overlooked.

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