The Baltimore Ravens enter this season shouldering the weight of massive expectations, with nearly every analyst labeling their campaign as ‘Super Bowl or bust.’ The team is armed with what might be the most talented roster in the league. And with an MVP QB in Lamar Jackson, anything short of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy will feel like a disappointment. HC John Harbaugh has pushed back against these ultimatums. He calls such talk “phony” while emphasizing the importance of process over results. But the pressure remains undeniable.

As training camp unfolds, one veteran presence in the Ravens locker room just offered intriguing insights. Both into his personal future and the team’s championship aspirations. Kyle Van Noy, the savvy outside LB, recently opened up in ways that reveal much about where this team stands. And where it might be headed. Those insights came with a rare moment of vulnerability. The kind only a seasoned veteran can provide.

Van Noy peeled back the curtain on his career timeline in a way that makes you lean in closer. Kyle Van Noy knows the clock is ticking, but he’s not ready to walk away just yet. The Ravens LB opened up about his future with refreshing honesty, admitting, “I’m not LeBron and Steph Curry, but the end is closer than the beginning.” Yet the 33-year-old made it clear he still has plenty left in the tank, adding “I can play as long as I want to… My body is still good and I can still play at a high level.” 

These aren’t empty words from a fading veteran – last season he silenced doubters by racking up a career-best 12.5 sacks and earning his first Pro Bowl nod after fourteen games of dominant football. His journey makes this resurgence even more impressive.

Since entering the league with Detroit in 2014, Van Noy has worn four different uniforms before finding his groove in Baltimore. The Ravens rewarded his 2023 breakout with a two-year deal. And he immediately proved them right, overcoming an early orbital fracture to terrorize QBs all season. 

Now, as he contemplates his football mortality, Van Noy remains focused on waking up those who still underestimate him. “I really think I’m one of the best in the league… I just got to keep waking people up.” For a Ravens team chasing a title, having this motivated version of Van Noy chasing QBs might be exactly what they need.

Kyle Van Noy demands championship focus

The Ravens’ outside LB didn’t just talk about retirement. He also sent a clear message about what this Ravens team needs from its leaders, especially Lamar Jackson. “When you get into the playoffs, those little details need to be executed at a high level,” Van Noy stressed. “You can’t just talk about it. You got to be about it every single day.” His words carry extra weight because Baltimore’s recent playoff exits have come down to those very details – missed assignments, untimely penalties, moments where championship poise slipped just enough to cost them.

Van Noy believes they’re close, though. “I think with the group that we have, with the leaders that we have, and the quarterback we have, I think we’ll be in good shape.” That QB, of course, is Jackson—a two-time MVP who still hears whispers about taking the next step as a leader. Coach John Harbaugh has hinted at it too, saying Jackson’s growth isn’t about stats but “the little, intangible things” that elevate everyone around him.

The Ravens don’t just need Jackson’s electrifying plays this year. They need his voice, his command, his ability to sharpen those razor-thin margins that separate contenders from champions. Vegas believes in them, listing Baltimore as Super Bowl favorites. Van Noy believes, too—but his challenge is clear: “We just got to knock it off.” No more near misses. No more “lax situations.” Just a relentless focus on the details that win when the lights burn brightest.

For Jackson, that might mean speaking up more in huddles or demanding perfection in practice. For Van Noy, it means leading by example as he always has. And for the Ravens? It’s their best shot yet to turn ‘Super Bowl or bust‘ into a celebration instead of a failure. The pieces are there. Now, as Van Noy put it, they’ve got to “be about it.” No excuses!