The Baltimore Ravens have built their identity on smart drafting, disciplined spending, and rewarding their own. In 2025, however, that philosophy backfired in spectacular fashion.
After their year ended with a heartbreaking loss at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18, many underwhelming factors are being weighed. This was already seen with the coaching staff, as Head John Harbaugh was fired on Tuesday, but it also goes for the roster.
Here are three players who severely underperformed in 2025 and must turn it around moving forward.
Marlon Humphrey and 2 players who fleeced the Ravens in 2025
Marlon Humphrey’s worst comes at the worst time
Since being selected in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft, Marlon Humphrey has been everything the Ravens could ask for. A four-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro, Humphrey has spent nearly a decade as one of the NFL’s most respected cornerbacks.
That resume makes his 2025 all the more jarring.
According to Pro Football Focus, Humphrey owns a 49.9 overall grade in 15 games, the lowest mark of his nine-year career. His previous worst season graded out at 65.3, highlighting just how steep the drop-off has been. Injuries have clearly played a role, but availability alone hasn’t been the issue — performance has. Humphrey has allowed 916 receiving yards, which is among the highest of all NFL defensive backs, and opposing quarterbacks have repeatedly targeted him downfield. Deep completions have become routine rather than rare, turning a former shutdown corner into a weekly liability.
After that late-season loss against the Steelers, Humphrey publicly addressed his struggles, acknowledging the disappointment and admitting he hasn’t played to his own standard. For a Ravens defense built on physical man coverage, Humphrey’s decline has been one of the most damaging developments of the season.
Rashod Bateman’s extension already looks regrettable
If Humphrey’s struggles were unexpected, Rashod Bateman’s disappointing season felt painfully familiar.
After receiving a three-year, $36.75 million extension with $20 million guaranteed, keeping him under contract through the 2029 season, Bateman was expected to finally solidify himself as a dependable weapon in Baltimore’s passing game.
Instead, 2025 became another chapter in a frustrating pattern.
Bateman finished the season with just 19 catches for 224 receiving yards and two touchdowns in 13 games, never establishing consistent chemistry or availability. Bateman’s season quietly ended with more questions than answers, symbolizing a regular season filled with missed opportunities and unrealized potential.
For a receiver earning starter money, that level of production is impossible to justify. Yes, Lamar Jackson missed a few games with injuries, and the Ravens had a revolving door at QB for a few weeks, but that doesn’t matter when you signed a guy to be your WR2, and he doesn’t show up when it matters most.
Mark Andrews quiet decline hurts just as much
Unlike Humphrey and Bateman, Mark Andrews' regression won’t really dominate headlines — but it may have hurt the Ravens just as much.
Once Lamar Jackson’s most trusted target and one of the league’s premier tight ends, Andrews entered 2025 with expectations of steady and decent production alongside Isiah Likely. Instead, he delivered one of the least impactful seasons of his career.
Across 17 games, Andrews recorded 48 receptions for 422 yards and five touchdowns — modest numbers for a player who recently agreed to a three-year, $39.3 million contract extension. While Andrews remains a respected locker-room leader and red-zone presence, the explosiveness and reliability that once made him special have clearly diminished.
For a team navigating tight cap constraints, paying top-tier money for middle-of-the-pack output is a luxury the Ravens simply can’t afford.
A costly lesson for Baltimore moving forward
None of these decisions was reckless at the time. Humphrey, Andrews, and Bateman were all rewarded based on past performance, potential, and organizational trust. But the 2025 season served as a harsh reminder of how quickly NFL contracts can sour.
Humphrey’s sudden decline, Bateman’s continued inability to stay healthy and productive, and Andrews fading impact combined to drain valuable resources from a team still trying to maximize Lamar Jackson’s championship window.
If the Ravens hope to rebound in 2026 and beyond, they’ll need to make colder, tougher evaluations — because loyalty without production is how contenders quietly fall behind in the NFL, and the Ravens are a product of having too much loyalty within the last few years.