After narrowly missing the postseason in 2025, the Baltimore Ravens are heading into the 2026 season with major changes on both the coaching staff and the roster. Still, the former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, hasn’t shied away from emphasizing that Pittsburgh has a stronger roster than Baltimore. And this week, the two-time Super Bowl champion has admitted that the Ravens’ Super Bowl window has been closed, citing multiple reasons.

“I think they’re falling apart. I really don’t think they’re the same team,” Roethlisberger said on his Footbahlin podcast. “These feel different. I feel like their window closed…To me, losing (John) Harbaugh just feels like, you know, (Derrick) King Henry’s a year older, like, his body’s taking a beating.

“You just felt like what was going on with Lamar last year? He just didn’t seem like the Lamar that we’ve been used to seeing. Maybe he was injured. I think he took some shots last year that we didn’t think about. So, maybe he’ll have a bounce-back year and be great again.”

The Ravens fired John Harbaugh after the team failed to make the postseason following their 26-24 loss to the Steelers in the season finale. And if we compare Baltimore’s 2025 season to the previous year, it won’t be unfair to say that Baltimore’s chances of making the Super Bowl are pretty thin compared to the Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC North.

And the reasons are many. For starters, take Lamar Jackson, for instance. The 29-year-old was close to winning his third MVP in the 2024 season, when he threw for 4172 yards and 41 touchdowns, while also rushing for over 900 yards and adding 4 more scores. In 2025, however, Lamar endured multiple injuries, including a hamstring scare, a toe complication, and a back issue.

As a result, his numbers dropped to just 2549 passing yards and 21 touchdowns, with his mobility taking a hit, as he rushed for just 349 yards. Derrick Henry, meanwhile, rushed for 1595 yards and 16 touchdowns, yes. But at the same time, he’s now on the other side of 30 and entering the 11th season of his NFL career. So, it’s tough to argue that the 32-year-old running back will be efficient in the near future.

Overall, the Ravens dropped from a top-ranking offense in the 2024 season to No. 16 in total offense in 2025 and tumbled to 27th in passing offense. On the defensive side of the ball, things didn’t go well either. For instance, the Ravens ranked 28th in pass rush win rate, as the team dropped from 54 sacks in 2024 (ranking 2nd in the league) to 30 sacks in 2025, ranking 28th in the league.

This is exactly why the former Steelers quarterback has reiterated that the Ravens’ Super Bowl window is closed. “I think that their window is closed. I should say it’s closing,” he said earlier this year.

At the same time, the Ravens have also implemented major changes ahead of the 2026 season. For starters, Lamar Jackson is returning after an injury-marred season, with optimism to bounce back in 2026. Meanwhile, after a disappointing defensive performance, the Ravens have hired a defensive-minded head coach in Jesse Minter.

While there’s no denying that the Ravens’ pass rush struggled last season, Baltimore is heading into the 2026 season with Trey Hendrickson in the fold to help address that issue. That said, since drafting Lamar Jackson in 2018, the Ravens have reached the AFC Championship Game only once. And while optimism is high heading into the upcoming season, it’ll be worth watching how they manage to get past the Steelers and Bengals this year.