Here’s a head-scratcher: Does a player really get too old the moment he turns 30, like he forgets football overnight right after blowing out the candle? The latest to take this hit—outside of Steel City’s Rodgers—is Ravens linebacker Kyle Van Noy, whose career-high stats of 12.5 sacks in 2024 are being conveniently ignored. He now faces questions about how long his name will stay on John Harbaugh’s Ravens’ 53-man roster as camp begins.

Well, Van Noy is brushing it off coolly. “Just grateful to be with my teammates. I would love to celebrate with my family, that would be a cool experience with my kids,” he said. As Baltimore’s defense line veteran anchor, Van Noy is fending off the NFL media. We all know that Kyle Van Noy is stepping into Year 12 at age 34, and the questions surrounding his longevity are growing louder. Yet he stands among other old veterans still making waves in the league—Aaron Rodgers at 41, Kirk Cousins at 36, and Matthew Stafford at 37. Like those names, Van Noy knows exactly what he brings to the field.

After training camp, he directly addressed the chatter. “I can play as long as I want to,” he said. “That’s my mindset. I thought about it a lot this offseason. I’m just grateful to continue to play. My body’s still good, and I can still play at a high level. I really think I’m one of the best in the league. My stats show it the last two years. I’m top 10 in a lot of stuff. I still go under the radar, which is fine. I’ve just got to keep waking people up.” Even Ravens head coach John Harbaugh was quick to shut down the age talk when asked directly about Van Noy’s future.

“Guys play until they can’t, you know, and he’s playing great. So some guys can’t play anymore.” Harbaugh made it clear he believes in Van Noy, who has consistently backed up his words with production. Even the Dolphins saw his value in 2020. That faith from the front office clearly hasn’t faded. Harbaugh summarized the outside noise in one phrase: “It’s all nothing.”

Van Noy isn’t just pure hype. His numbers strongly back him. In 2023, he earned a PFF grade of 75.0—his second-highest career mark and proof of his consistent impact plays. For a player of any age demographic, that’s not just respectable, it’s elite. “He looks good,” Harbaugh said. “He’s out here making plays again. I don’t know what the age thing is, so I actually can’t define it. You just go by what you see. Guys play until they can’t. He’s still playing at a high level.”

Harbaugh is playing the D-line with the media for more than just Van Noy. The same energy surrounds the contract drama star quarterback, Lamar Jackson.

John Harbaugh throws Lamar Jackson a lifeline amidst media chatter

Lamar Jackson enters the 2025 season with two MVP titles in seven years and a fire to go deeper in the playoffs. Baltimore, fresh off a divisional-round loss to Buffalo, is again a top Super Bowl favorite. The expectations are massive, and the Ravens know the clock is ticking on their championship window. But if there’s one ghost Jackson still hasn’t exorcised, it’s the playoff curse. Jackson has a disappointing 3-5 record in the playoffs.

That very narrative pushed Jackson below Joe Burrow to No.4 in this year’s ESPN quarterback rankings. Critics keep pointing fingers, attaching postseason woes solely to Jackson. But that’s a limited view. When losses come knocking, the quarterback often takes the fall.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh stepped in quickly to defend his QB. “Look at Lamar’s record in one-score games. Look at our record in two-score games over the last number of years. So one one-score games, two-score games, we won a lot of football games. We’ve seen him play some corner, we’ve seen him play some safety.” It was Harbaugh’s way of reminding people just how dynamic and consistent Jackson really is, whose magnetism is much more complex and beyond his numbers.

The numbers back him up. Lamar owns a 74-29 career record. That win percentage is elite. And in 2024 alone, he put up career-best stats — 4,172 passing yards, 41 total touchdowns, and a 119.6 passer rating. These aren’t pedestrian numbers. They’re MVP-caliber stats. The playoff ceiling still looms, but the floor Jackson is one of the best Lombardi chances in the league.