Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry said the team understands the urgency to get back to competing for a Super Bowl.
Every season, the Baltimore Ravens are a team that is highly competitive, given the talent on both sides of the ball. However, the 2025 season was a bit of a reality check for the organization, as they went 8-9 and failed to make the playoffs since the 2021 season.
The result of the playoff miss led to sweeping changes on the coaching side of things and has led to some added pressure to correct course. Ravens running back Derrick Henry understands the pressure to compete and says the team understands the urgency in getting to the big show.
Players never make excuses for their inability to make a deep playoff run, but Baltimore ran into some big issues regarding injuries.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson, defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, and many more suffered injuries that knocked them out of multiple games, leading to a less-than-stellar season.
Linebacker Roquan Smith said injuries are not an excuse but they are the reality that the team had to deal with.
That said, the 2025 season is in the past, but not the urgency that comes with needing to compete.
Henry joined the Ravens' official podcast, "The Lounge," to discuss the deep need to make the championship, especially regarding being one of the reasons he signed with the team in 2024.
"Yeah, I think everybody knows what we want to do and what we need to do. I mean like you said, I came here to win. Coming here in 2024, you know, I wanted to get it done, came up short in the division round last year, not making the playoffs. So I know that, and I believe that we have all the pieces to get it done. We just got to go out there and go do it and take it one week at a time," Henry said.
Henry is correct in that the Ravens do have the right pieces to compete, as the aforementioned All-Pro quarterback and Pro Bowl defensive tackle are on the team, along with Henry, wide receiver Zay Flowers, Smith, All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton, and many others on the team.
Even with a roster of talent, things can go awry very quickly, as the 2025 season was evidence of that.
Now, the Ravens have a brand-new coaching staff in place under first-time head coach Jesse Minter.
Minter was instrumental in turning the Los Angeles Chargers defense into a top-10 unit, and he will now lead Baltimore in 2026 and beyond.
The "energy" and excitement for the season are shared among most players, including Henry.
"Yeah, I think so, too. It's just great. The energy has been great. From the time we got here for OTAs in the offseason to leading up to training camp and um you know, now getting through training camp. I think guys are just looking forward to each and every day, seeing how much we grow, seeing how much we get better, making each other better, coaches and players," Henry said.
The energy has been spoken about many times, by differing players, coaches, and more.
With Minter has come a presumed return to a strong defensive identity. Additionally, the mind of offensive coordinator Declan Doyle has been widely praised.
There are still some concerns to handle, such as the starting center, along with the struggles of kicker Tyler Loop, but now is the time to figure those things out.
Baltimore is set for its first matchup of the regular season, as they will face the Indianapolis Colts on Sep. 13. How the team responds in the game could set the tone for the entire season.
