In any sport, winning a championship requires a lot to go right. Even a small hiccup can derail sky-high hopes.
The Ravens, who have Super Bowl expectations once again despite a disappointing 2025 season, are no different. Staying healthy and winning close games, for example, are paramount in getting to (and over) the mountaintop. The Ravens struggled with both last season.
However, there are some things that will be especially important in determining the outcome of Baltimore's 2026 season. Here are five factors that will define the Ravens' campaign that they hope ends with a third Lombardi Trophy coming back to 1 Winning Drive.
Lamar Jackson's health
This is, by far and away, the swing factor that holds the most weight. It's also the simplest.
Should Jackson stay on the field and be even close to 100% health, history suggests that the Ravens will have one of the NFL's better offenses.
Baltimore felt the ripple effects of Jackson being hampered by injuries for much of 2025. The two-time MVP wasn't as effective running the ball compared to past seasons, posting career-lows in most rushing categories. With the threat of his legs not as dangerous, the Ravens lost a vital element of their offense.
Even in a trying campaign, Jackson still had MVP-caliber moments and stretches, especially at the beginning of the season before injuries began to pile up.
Jackson also ended the season with a bang when he almost lifted Baltimore to the playoffs with a transcendent late-game performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18, even though his efforts ended up being for naught. He finished the season with the highest yards per attempt of any quarterback in the clutch according to Pro Football Focus.
Plus, Jackson is only two years removed from putting together arguably the best individual seasons by a quarterback who didn't win MVP. He's looked healthy during the offseason and seems to enjoy the new coaching staff, including Offensive Coordinator Declan Doyle.
Jackson has undergone changes over the offseason with the arrival of a new coordinator, who's adjusted Jackson's footwork and has him playing more under center. Growing pains might seem inevitable, but two things must be considered: Jackson's two MVP awards have come in his first seasons under new offensive coordinators, and Jackson is one of the best under-center quarterbacks in the NFL.
If Jackson were to miss any time, Tyler Huntley is one of the steadiest backup quarterbacks in the league who won both of his starts last season. But the Ravens are a different offense with their walking highlight machine on the field, and their hopes of a third Lombardi Trophy rest heavily on the shoulders of No. 8.
Nnamdi Madubuike's health
Speaking of players who the Ravens would love to have on the field, Madubuike is another one.
The Ravens' pass rush appears to be much improved from a season ago. Over the offseason, they signed Trey Hendrickson and Calais Campbell while using a second-round pick on Zion Young. Baltimore hopes that they, along with promising returners in Mike Green, Tavius Robinson, and Travis Jones, can get after the quarterback at a high level this season.
But much of the Ravens' success in that facet rests upon the availability of Madubuike, who missed almost all of last season with a neck injury. Without their two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle, Baltimore's pass rush slowed, finishing near the bottom of the league in most pressure and sack statistics, which is atypical for a franchise who's accustomed to being one of the NFL's best at pressuring quarterbacks.
Madubuike participated in individual drills during training camp, and he wasn't placed on injured reserve to start the season, which means he should be in game action within the first four weeks. General Manager Eric DeCosta said Wednesday that he's "more bullish on that right now than I have been" regarding Madubuike's ability to contribute soon. How close will he be to his peak form?
The offseason additions on the outside should help. But in a time when elite defensive tackles have become especially valuable, both on the field and in checkbooks, Madubuike's presence might help Baltimore the most.
Interior offensive line play
The Ravens are set at both offensive tackle spots with Ronnie Stanley and Roger Rosengarten, but greater questions lie elsewhere along the offensive line.
The interior O-line, along with Jackson's diminished ability to escape pressure, was a big reason why Jackson was sacked on 10.65% of his dropbacks last season, the highest rate of his career and the ninth-highest rate in the NFL over the past five seasons.
The Ravens shored up both guard spots this offseason, using a first-round pick on Vega Ioane and signing John Simpson in free agency.
Center is the biggest question mark. Free-agent signee Danny Pinter, a longtime backup for the Indianapolis Colts who looked to have the lead in the starting center competition, suffered a season-ending torn patellar tendon on Aug. 19. The Ravens' other options are fellow free-agent signee Ethan Pocic, who's started 97 career games at center but is less than eight months removed from a torn Achilles, and Jovaughn Gwyn, who has never started a regular-season game at center but is versed in Offensive Line Coach Dwayne Ledford's system from their days together with the Atlanta Falcons.
A good chunk of the Ravens' offensive success this season will hinge Gwyn's growth, Pocic's health, and how well Ioane can translate his dominance from Penn State to the NFL. The acclimation process might be tougher considering that the Ravens are set to face eight of Sports Illustrated’s top 10 defensive tackles in the regular season, including the Indianapolis Colts' DeForest Buckner in Week 1 and the Tennessee Titans' Jeffrey Simmons, who checked in at No. 1 on the list, in Week 4.
At least one pass catcher taking a major step forward
The Ravens have two cornerstone pass catchers in Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews. Outside of them, however, lies a lot of uncertainty.
Other than Flowers and Andrews, Rashod Bateman and Durham Smythe are the only wide receiver or tight end with more than seven career catches and Smythe is expected to have a primary blocking role.
There's hope for Devontez Walker to improve this season and for Bateman to get back to his 2024 self, although the NFL is still investigating an alleged family violence incident involving Bateman from June.
Third-round rookie Ja'Kobi Lane has been an offseason sensation, using his giant hands and long arms to make spectacular catches that caused ESPN's Jamison Hensley, who's covered the Ravens for almost their entire existence, to make a colossal proclamation. Fellow rookies Elijah Sarratt, Matt Hibner and Josh Cuevas could also play key roles immediately.
Regardless of who it is, someone needs to step up, especially because it was an issue last season. The Ravens' third most-targeted pass catcher in 2025, DeAndre Hopkins, commanded just 9.6% of Baltimore's targets and finished with 330 receiving yards, both of which were bottom-five totals in the NFL.
A team's No. 3 pass catcher not being very productive is more acceptable in certain circumstances, which can be seen in various Super Bowl champions from this century. The 2006 Colts, for example, didn't need a third pass catcher to produce as much because they had two superstar wideouts in Marvin Harrison Sr. and Reggie Wayne. Same went for the 2021 Rams and 2023 Chiefs, both of whom had one dominant pass catcher (Cooper Kupp and Travis Kelce).
History also suggests that it's extremely helpful to have more than two productive pass-catching threats. Of the past 30 Super Bowl champions, those teams' third-most targeted pass catchers had an average target share of 14%. Last season, those pass catchers had an average target share of 13.3%.
Jackson having another high-level target who forces defenses to worry about someone besides Flowers and Andrews will go a long way in maximizing another season with Jackson under center and a Super Bowl title being a reasonable expectation for Baltimore.
Whoever the kicker is being consistent and clutch
Tyler Loop has an interesting kicking profile.
In his rookie season, Loop converted 30-of-34 field goals, including all but one from inside 50 yards. His 88.2% conversion rate was almost three percentage points above league average, and he made all but two extra-point attempts.
But that one miss from inside 50 yards was a 44-yarder in Pittsburgh that would've sent Baltimore to the playoffs. One of those missed extra points, which came against Buffalo in Week 1, proved costly in a one-point loss. Finally, Loop was just 1-of-4 on kicks from at least 50 yards away.
At the start of this century, when the league average on field goals was less than 80% and attempting a 60-yarder felt like kicking across the Atlantic Ocean, Loop's season would've been considered an All-Pro-caliber one. But kicking has drastically evolved since then, as kickers nowadays are kicking more accurately and from further away than ever before. Excellence isn't as excellent as it used to be.
This offseason was a chance for Loop to reassure people that he could still be Baltimore's kicker for the foreseeable future. The Ravens furthered their belief in Loop by not bringing in another kicker to compete with him for the starting job.
The results were mixed. Loop kicked well during offseason practices, then went 5-of-8 on field goals in the preseason, missing from 49, 51, and 58 yards away. After the Ravens' preseason finale, in which Loop went 2-of-4, Head Coach Jesse Minter said that the Ravens would "continue to look at what the best situation is there." A few days later, Baltimore signed Jake Moody to their practice squad.
Like Loop, Moody has had similar ups and downs in the NFL. He went 21-of-25 on field goals and made all but one extra-point attempt in his rookie season with the San Francisco 49ers. He made three field goals in the Super Bowl. Hethen went just 24-of-34 on field goals in 2024, including a missed game-winner against the Cleveland Browns from 41 yards.
After going just 1-of-3 in last year's season-opener, including a miss from 27 yards, the 49ers cut Moody. He got a fresh start in Chicago and bounced back, going 8-of-9 with the Bears, including a game-winning 38-yarder against the Washington Commanders. He then went 10-of-11 with the Commanders, including a 32-yarder against the Denver Broncos that sent the game to overtime.
Minter said that he expects Loop to be the Ravens' kicker in Week 1. Regardless of who the kicker is, being consistent and clutch will be key, especially if Baltimore has a top-10 offense and defense, which is very realistic.
If Baltimore's kicker can come through in big-time spots and from long range, that would be a huge help to the Ravens. If not, Baltimore could see another game or two slip away in part due to missed kicks.
