The Baltimore Ravens’ schedule was released on May 14, and that has fans getting all kinds of excited for 2026. While everyone is focused on the regular season, and rightfully so, we also got to see what Baltimore’s preseason will look like this year.
In the three-game stretch ahead of the games that really matter, the Ravens will take on the Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, and Washington Commanders in preseason action. They’ll have home games against the Eagles and the Commanders in Week 1 and Week 3, and travel to Minnesota for Week 2.
We also learned that Baltimore will get a couple of joint practices with the Vikings and Commanders in August. For that week against Minnesota, Jesse Minter will get a little bit of a blast from the past. He’ll get to test out his new defense against a familiar face: Minnesota quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
Jesse Minter draws familiar test amid Baltimore Ravens’ offseason update
Jesse Minter and J.J. McCarthy have some history. When Minter was the defensive coordinator for the Michigan Wolverines from 2022 to 2023, McCarthy was the starting quarterback in both those seasons. In 2023, the two hoisted the National Championship trophy, completing an undefeated 15-0 season.
Of course, he wasn’t directly coaching McCarthy. They focused on different sides of the football. However, there’s a clear relationship there. It also means Minter had his fair share of duels with McCarthy on the practice fields at Michigan. Now, that competition will continue in the NFL with their joint practices on August 19 and 20, in addition to their game on August 22.
In truth, getting an extra opportunity to test run his defense against McCarthy may not be tough at all for Minter and company. The Vikings’ quarterback situation is looking rough. McCarthy seems to be floundering, Kyler Murray appears to be the definitive starter for 2026, but even he’s had problems, and outside of that, it’s Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer. Not exactly a star-studded group of signal callers. But maybe that could be incredibly beneficial.
After the year the Ravens had on defense in 2025, they’ll need every tune-up they can get, especially with a new coaching staff calling the shots, too. Whether it be preseason games or practices, they have to get as comfortable as possible ahead of a season with high expectations. Facing a struggling offensive unit in two practices, as well as a preseason game, could give them a much-needed jolt of confidence.
And along with that, iron will sharpen iron. As Minter looks to build consistency on defense against his former quarterback in McCarthy, Minnesota’s wide receiver room has the skills to give Baltimore’s secondary a wake-up call early on. The trio of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Jauan Jennings will be an excellent test for Nate Wiggins, Marlon Humphrey, and Chidobe Awuzie.
Ultimately, these joint practices will be critical, and Jesse Minter is probably very excited to see J.J. McCarthy on the other side. It should ramp up the competition.
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