The Baltimore Ravens will enter the 2025 season with one of the best rosters in football and some of the highest expectations. Once again, it’s Super Bowl or bust for Baltimore, and with high-profile stars on both sides of the ball, the bar has justifiably been set.
In 2024, the Ravens were the second-most dangerous team in football on the ground, trailing only the Philadelphia Eagles and 2,000-yard rusher Saquon Barkley. The addition of Derrick Henry gave them a closer, a punishing back who can make sure the four-minute offense operates well. Henry rushed for 1,921 yards and 16 touchdowns and contributed 139 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns.
If there’s a hitch in Baltimore’s plan, Bleacher Report suggests it would be Henry struggling in 2025.
“Father Time finally catches up to a 31-year-old Derrick Henry just after signing a big, new contract, and the Ravens move in the wrong direction as a result,” Brad Gagnon wrote.
However, Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson is key to Baltimore surviving regression from its starting running back.
The biggest risk in paying Henry is the opportunity cost of signing another contributor in a Super Bowl window. At 31, it’s entirely possible that he stumbles down the cliff awaiting so many running backs. But even a diminished version of Henry isn’t likely to be a detriment to the offense.
The Ravens’ run game was elite with Henry in 2024, finishing second in the league in expected points added per rush. In the four preceding seasons, Baltimore ranked first, 11th, second and third, respectively.
This offense doesn’t need Henry at his best to be elite. He makes them more dangerous in January and is a significant part of the team’s plans, but Jackson’s mobility has made every backfield configuration a strong one.
There’s no reason why that shouldn’t continue in 2025. Henry has proven to be an outlier in his aging and durability. He should be expected to dominate again with Jackson’s gravity making his life easier.
It goes without saying that the worst-case scenario for the Ravens is Jackson going down. In virtually any scenario, the two-time NFL MVP has the talent to weather the storm.
