The Baltimore Ravens, uncharacteristically, missed the playoffs in the 2025 season, and it resulted in massive changes. The team fired Jim Harbaugh and hired Jesse Minter, but kept the talented core of players intact. Now, there’s a belief that Minter, as a first-time head coach, will immediately get Baltimore back to contender status.
While it wouldn’t be surprising if that happened, there are things that could go wrong. Recently, NFL writer Kristopher Knox laid out the most-concerning problem Baltimore could encounter, and it’s an issue that’s inevitable. In a Bleacher Report piece, Knox argued that the worst-case scenario for Baltimore’s offense would be age slowing down the run game.
Ravens backfield will have to outrun Father Time to remain productive
When Baltimore is at its best offensively, everything is built around the rushing attack. That’s why the possibility of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry taking a step back would be a nightmare for the Ravens. The team’s offense would be asked to function in a completely different manner, and it’s no guarantee Baltimore will find success that way.
Knox detailed why this is a concern that Ravens fans have to acknowledge, explaining that both Jackson and Henry are at risk of declining. For the quarterback, Knox emphasized that most dual-threat QBs run less as they get older. Acknowledging that Jackson is only 29 years old, Knox expressed that it’s not unreasonable to think that Jackson may be past his prime as a runner.
Derrick Henry, on the other hand, is 32 years old, but is coming off a season with 1,595 rushing yards. It doesn’t seem like he’s slowing down anytime soon, but Knox reminds everyone that Father Time catches up eventually.
The question is if the inevitable arrival of Father Time will come this year or not. Considering that both guys have still been elite runners when healthy, it seems like they should be able to hold off the effects of aging for a couple of more seasons. If Jackson and Henry can do that the Ravens will be just fine. If they both take a significant step back in 2026, though, Baltimore could be in trouble.
Add us as a preferred source on Google