The Baltimore Ravens did damage in the 2026 NFL Draft, most notably with their first-round selection of Vega Ioane. The pairing seemed inevitable all throughout the process, and it ultimately came to fruition. It has the makings of a home-run pick.
While Ioane was the favorite target from the get-go, another player who caught Ravens fans’ attention leading up to the draft was Mansoor Delane. Not only did Baltimore need another young starter at cornerback, but Delane’s Maryland ties made him a more desired prospect in some fans’ eyes. It would’ve been a cool story.
Ultimately, Delane was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 6 overall. And as he joins the Chiefs, he’s renounced his Ravens fandom. On Friday, he touched on that relationship, but also threw in a harsh truth that fans will hate hearing.
“I grew up a Ravens fan, not a Ravens fan anymore, but obviously [the Ravens/Chiefs rivalry] was some battles,” Delane said. “We always could never get past the Chiefs.”
Come on. We all know it’s true, but he didn’t have to say it.
Baltimore Ravens fans painfully reminded of Kansas City Chiefs rivalry woes
The Ravens simply have had some agonizing collapses against the Chiefs. All-time, they are 5-10 against Kansas City, and those matchups have produced far more losses than wins in recent years. Some people may refer to it as a rivalry, but to be quite honest, it’s almost become a yearly loss.
Ever since Lamar Jackson entered the league in 2018 and quickly ascended to one of the best players that the NFL has to offer, his battles with Patrick Mahomes have been well-documented. They’re always marked as one of the best games on the schedule. Unfortunately, though, Jackson’s Ravens haven’t been able to keep up with Mahomes’ Chiefs. It sucks.
In the Jackson era, Baltimore’s 5-10 record against Kansas City has turned to an absolutely abysmal 1-6. Most of the time, they’ve resulted in painful one-score losses, four of the six to be exact. So, while sure, NFL fans probably love watching those games, they've been brutal watches for Ravens fans. It’s a hump that this team just can’t get over.
Ultimately, maybe it was a John Harbaugh problem. Or. Maybe Delane was just bad luck (joking, of course). Regardless, there’s a huge opportunity to turn over a new leaf after hiring Jesse Minter. The Ravens and Chiefs won’t play in the 2026 regular season, but maybe Baltimore gets their shot at some long-awaited revenge in the playoffs. If not, they’ll have to wait until 2027 to change the story of the rivalry.
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