The Baltimore Ravens suffered a crushing end to their season in Week 18. After entering the campaign with clear-cut Super Bowl expectations, they failed to make the playoffs with an embarrassing 8-9 record. Their shortcoming ultimately got head coach John Harbaugh fired, leaving the franchise as a whole in an untethered state of limbo.
But all hope for the future isn't lost. This is still a roster stocked full of talent on both sides of the ball. With the right coaching staff in place, the Ravens could immediately return to their winning ways.
According to one writer, Baltimore is closer to contending for a Super Bowl again than fans might think.
Ravens could be closer to a Super Bowl than fans expect
Fansided writer Nick Villano recently ranked every non-playoff team in the NFL based on how close they are to contending. Out of the 18 teams listed, the Ravens ranked third. Only the Kansas City Chiefs and the Detroit Lions were ahead of Baltimore.
Villano laid out the path for the Ravens to win the Super Bowl after their 2025 collapse, saying:
"If the Ravens get one of the top coaches in this cycle, i.e., Kevin Stefanski, this could be a Super Bowl team as early as next season. In fact, the top three teams could all win the Super Bowl in 2026-27. The Ravens are one of them, but they have to make the right decision at coach. They need to get the most out of Jackson as he gets older, and they need a better number-one receiver than Zay Flowers. They’ve tried with multiple first-round picks, but they need to get that decision rectified."
Whether Kevin Stefanski is your top option for the Ravens' vacant head coach position or not, the overall claim is right. Baltimore is only a few pieces away from finishing 2026 where they should have finished 2025. With an impactful, innovative head coach at the helm, a competent staff behind him, and an upgrade at wide receiver, this team could immediately become one of the top competitors in the AFC next season.
The bones of a contender are still there in Baltimore. They have an elite quarterback, talented offensive weapons, and multiple stars on defense. It's far from perfect, but we've seen this season that a team doesn't have to be perfect to make a run. If a couple more bounces go their way, the Ravens could be back on top next season.