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USA Today
26-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Four Ravens who could leave after this season to accept bigger paydays elsewhere
Four Ravens who could leave after this season to accept bigger paydays elsewhere It isn't time to discuss next year's free agents yet, but keep an eye on the following Ravens anyway. May is ending. We're still months from Week 1 of the NFL season and an AFC Divisional Round rematch featuring the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills on Sunday Night Football. Fans on both sides are entertaining something familiar: expectations. After seeing the Kansas City Chiefs get throttled during the most recent Super Bowl, the three-time AFC champions seem more vulnerable than they have been. Don't expect them to roll over and play dead, though. They beat Baltimore at home in the title game almost two years ago. Then, they extinguished the Bills last season. The flock has a chance as long as Lamar Jackson leads the charge. Championship windows close quickly in the NFL, though. The coming campaign adds pressure because several vital cogs in the Ravens' machine may be enjoying swan songs. The following Ravens could be auditioning for other teams this season. On May 14, Derrick Henry agreed to terms on a two-year contract extension with the Ravens worth $30 million, with $25 million guaranteed. Thirty-five members of Baltimore's current 90-man roster are signed to deals that expire after the coming season. Kyle Van Noy is a proven veteran and one such member. Tyler Linderbaum is a priority and a former first-round draftee. That gives the Ravens a fifth-year option they can exercise on him in 2026, but the conversation won't be as easy for some other familiar faces. Might the players on the following list be entering their final seasons with the only team they have ever played for? Mark Andrews, tight end Seven seasons in Baltimore have established Mark Andrews as one of the best tight ends in the NFL. He has started 55 of his 104 in-game regular-season appearances. He has started four of the eight postseason games he has appeared in. He has hauled in 465 receptions for 5,845 yards and reached the end zone 51 times. Baltimore has drafted well. They added two tight ends during the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. That could make an aging Andrews the odd man out, but believe it or not, the youngsters are in just as much danger of the Ravens moving on as the established veteran is. Charlie Kolar, tight end The following statement could apply to Charlie Kolar or the guy the Ravens selected 11 spots later, Isaiah Likely. Baltimore could give up one for the other. Kolar is the better blocker and has no issues with doing the dirty work. Likely is the better receiving threat. Might that be enough motivation for the Ravens to keep the latter? Is it possible the only team they have ever known might move off Andrews and hang on to both of them with team-friendly deals? Odafe Oweh, EDGE Baltimore drafted Mike Green during Round 2 of the most recent NFL Draft. The 2025-26 season doubles as Oweh's contract season, which the Ravens used to exercise his fifth-year option. Stay tuned. Working in Oweh's favor is that he's coming off a ten-sack season during the most recent campaign. If he duplicates that production level, it will be hard for the Ravens to let him walk. Keep an eye on that storyline. It will be discussed all season. Ar'Darius Washington, safety After three forgettable seasons to begin his career, Ar'Darius Washington appeared in all 17 games with ten starts last season. He racked up 64 tackles, two interceptions, and a sack. Then, he started both of the Ravens' postseason games and added 11 tackles. It seemed like the light bulb had finally come on before he suffered a season-ending Achilles injury.. There are two issues if you're a former undrafted rookie free agent. This is a contract season, and Baltimore drafted Malaki Starks in Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft. What are the chances they'll offer a significant extension to the third safety on their depth chart when other extensions seem more pressing? No one should be shocked if Washington returns. No one should be surprised if he doesn't.
USA Today
19-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Ravens LB Roquan Smith on Week 1 vs. Bills: Revenge a dish best served cold
Ravens LB Roquan Smith on Week 1 vs. Bills: Revenge a dish best served cold When the 2025 NFL schedule dropped this week, the first thing most Buffalo Bills fans noticed was their Week 1 game. On the NFL's opening weekend, the Bills will be hosting the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football. It's a rematch of last year's divisional round at the same location, in which the Bills won a close one, 27-25. These are two teams that have some recent history and they are both chasing the feeling of being on top of the league at season's end. We didn't have to wait long to see the Bills play a serious contender. Although the Week 1 matchup doesn't have as high of a stakes as the divisional round on a frigid night in Buffalo, it is one of the best matchups of the entire NFL season. In fact, in ranking of the top-10 prime-time games in 2025, Bills vs. Ravens took the top spot. Showcasing Josh Allen's Bills vs. Lamar Jackson's Ravens to the world is an electric way to kick off the NFL season. But, why wait till then to get fired up about it when you can get your popcorn ready in May? Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith joined NFL Network this week to share his thoughts on the Week 1 game. "Just how I like it," Smith said. "Revenge is best served as a cold dish. It will be nice to get up to Buffalo and get a little payback for those guys from the end of the year." Although the Ravens blew out the Bills in the regular season last year, 35-10, Buffalo came through when they had to have it. "Those guys won the game fair and square last year, and you know that misery sets in all offseason," Smith said. "Just knowing that we have everything it takes to be the best team in this NFL... and it's gonna start up there in Buffalo... just like everything we've gone through in the offseason and how the season ended and just unleashing it on those guys... and I'm sure they have the same plan." The NFL doesn't need to do much marketing for this game as the vast majority of NFL fans will be tuned in, but Smith is getting the people going four months early. With the two most recent league MVPs squaring off, if this one is anything like the divisional round we'll be in for an instant classic. The Bills opened as 1.5-point favorites for Week 1, the first of 17 games that they are currently favored in.
USA Today
19-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Seattle Seahawks schedule and opponents before, after facing the Arizona Cardinals
Seattle Seahawks schedule and opponents before, after facing the Arizona Cardinals Taking a look at the teams the Seahawks play before and after they face the Cardinals in 2025. The NFL released its full 2025 regular-season schedule. We know the Arizona Cardinals' schedule. What we don't readily know are their opponents' schedules. In particular, it is good to know the teams their opponents play before and after their game against the Cardinals. Since the Cardinals play two games each against their NFC West opponents, let's have a look at their schedules and the teams they play the week prior and the week after. Here is the schedule for the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle Seahawks 2025 schedule Week 1 - September 7th vs San Francisco 49ers Week 2 - September 14th at Pittsburgh Steelers Week 3 - September 21st vs New Orleans Saints Week 4 - September 25th at Arizona Cardinals (Thursday Night Football) Week 5 - October 5th vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Week 6 - October 12th at Jacksonville Jaguars Week 7 - October 20th vs Houston Texans (Monday Night Football) Week 8 - BYE Week 9 - November 2nd at Washington Commanders (Sunday Night Football) Week 10 - November 9th vs Arizona Cardinals Week 11 - November 16th at LA Rams Week 12 - November 23rd at Tennessee Titans Week 13 - November 30th vs Minnesota Vikings Week 14 - December 7th at Atlanta Falcons Week 15 - December 14th vs Indianapolis Colts Week 16 - December 18th vs LA Rams (Thursday Night Football) Week 17 - at Carolina Panthers (date TBD) Week 18 - at San Francisco 49ers (date TBD) Cardinals-Seahawks games The Cardinals will face the Seahawks at home in Week 4 in a Thursday night game. The Seahawks will have been at home against the Saints in Week 3, which is funny because the Cardinals open the season New Orleans and will face the San Francisco 49ers in Week 3 the Saints played them. The Seahawks face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after their mini-bye following game against Arizona, while the Cardinals will host the Tennessee Titans. The Cardinals will travel to Seattle in Week 10. It will come on a short week after having played the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night in Week 9. Seattle will have a slightly shorter week as they will have played the Washington Commanders on the road on Sunday night in Week 9. They then face the LA Rams on the road in Week 11 while the Cardinals host the 49ers. Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ravens Schedule Features 3 Must-See Matchups in First 5 Games
The Baltimore Ravens will enter the 2025 NFL season as one of the favorites in the AFC - as they typically are. However, recent playoff performances have put the Ravens under the spotlight as one of the teams under the most pressure to finally get over the hump. Advertisement They enter the new season with the ninth-hardest schedule in the league, and most of those tough matchups will come right at the beginning of the season. Here is an analysis of Baltimore's three must-watch matchups. Lucky for Ravens fans, they all come within the team's first five weeks of games. Week 1: @ Buffalo Bills - 8:20 p.m. E.T. - Sunday Night Football One of the most anticipated quarterback matchups of the entire season is how we kick off the first Sunday of the season. Buffalo, led by league MVP Josh Allen, will face the Lamar Jackson-led Ravens in a rematch of last season's memorable AFC Divisional round. It was a 27-25 finish that put the Bills into the conference championship game and ended Baltimore's season the last time the two faced off in 2024. Advertisement Jackson had narrowly lost to Allen in the MVP race at the end of the season, but the playoff loss brings a bit more sting. If it wasn't for a Mark Andrews drop in the waning moments of that game, the Ravens could have continued their quest for their first Super Bowl appearance since 2012. Now their first shot at revenge is Game 1 of the new season. Grab your popcorn. Week 3: vs. Detroit Lions - 8:20 p.m. E.T. - Monday Night Football Following a likely blow-over in the home opener against the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore will face another serious contender in the Detroit Lions. The matchup is also the Ravens' second primetime game in the first three weeks. Advertisement Last season saw another one-possession loss that will lead to a motivated 2025 rematch. The Lions escaped with a 27-20 win over the Ravens in Week 1 last season. Detroit has grown into one of the primetime darlings of the NFL, and feature an exciting offense, yet minimal postseason success. Kinda sounds like the Ravens. This will be a crucial game for the Ravens that could be a huge momentum driver into the final marquee matchup of this grueling early season slate. Week 4: @ Kansas City Chiefs - 4:05 / 4:25 p.m. E.T. The following week serves as another rematch for the Ravens. The last time Baltimore made the AFC championship game, the Chiefs finished off a 17-10 win to eliminate the MVP Jackson and go on to win the Super Bowl in 2023 Advertisement The Chiefs could be highly motivated in this upcoming meeting as well. They will be two weeks removed from a 2024 Super Bowl rematch with the Philadelphia Eagles ... so depending on that performance, this matchup with the Ravens could be a bounce-back statement win. A Patrick Mahomes vs. Lamar Jackson headliner will always be an exciting and impactful matchup. But surprisingly enough, it won't be a national showcase game. Baltimore's five-game stretch to start the season may be one of the toughest in the league. How they perform in each of these marquee matchups will be a clear indication of the Ravens' competition level moving forward. Most importantly, a strong start to the season will propel John Harbaugh's team into a less difficult second half schedule ... which the Ravens hope builds them the chemistry and rhythm they need to finally climb the AFC mountain. Related: Derrick Henry Stat Turns Heads After $30 Million Decision Related: Ravens Signing Lamar To New Contract Would Solve $74.5M Problem
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The 7 best prime time games of 2025: Commanders-Chiefs is gonna be rad
The 2025 NFL regular season schedule is upon us, foisted upon fans in a manufactured event that produced a few genuine chuckles but mostly served to keep social media managers busy the two weeks following the draft. We already knew who each team would play this fall and mostly knew where. Setting up the "when," however, needed its own special spring event. The schedule was at least somewhat enlightening. We now know which nights you can make plans and consciously avoid prime time games. We know Thursday Night Football is at least a little bit more important than Monday night. And, importantly, we know the dates that should be circled in Sharpie thanks to games that could have far reaching postseason implications. Advertisement Let's take a look at the seven best. 7. Week 12, Sunday Night Football: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Los Angeles Rams Two quarterbacks whose fortunes have fluctuated in recent seasons look to leave their mark on the game -- whether that's Baker Mayfield proving he can be a gunslinger full-time or Matthew Stafford continuing to defy Father Time. Mayfield, once Stafford's understudy, led the Bucs to their fourth straight NFC South title in 2024. Stafford's continued excellence (and some tremendous drafting) helped the Rams fend off a rebuild and stay in contention. It's possible either or both teams fall off before Week 12, but this should be a laser show even if it lacks major playoff implications. 6. Week 13, Thursday Night Football (Black Friday edition): Chicago Bears at Philadelphia Eagles Can the Bears channel their talent into something greater than heartache? Hiring Ben Johnson, the hottest offensive mind in the game, certain suggests they're taking things seriously -- and so does selecting Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III within the first 40 picks of the 2025 NFL Draft. That will put an Eagles defense that saw multiple starters leave in free agency to the test. Will Chicago rise up to the challenge and make a statement about its playoff potential? Can Philadelphia withstand another hungry challenger and showcase the strength to repeat as world champs? 5. Week 12, Thursday Night Football: Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans Oct 6, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) looks for an open receiver during the fourth quarter against the Buffalo Bills at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Despite a C.J. Stroud slump, the Texans managed to hold their place from 2023, winning 11 total games including a Wild Card rout. Houston overhauled its offensive line this offseason in hopes of making the leap from good to great. The Bills did the same with their defense, adding Joey Bosa and Michael Hoecht while devoting their first four draft picks to that side of the ball. We'll have a better sense of who is ready to challenge for an AFC title when these two meet one week before Thanksgiving. 4. Week 8, Monday Night Football: Washington Commanders at Kansas City Chiefs How can Jayden Daniels follow up a rookie campaign that thrust him into the MVP race? Will the return of Rashee Rice and Marquise Brown return Patrick Mahomes to All-Pro status after a merely "good" 2024? Most importantly, has the Commanders defense, gashed for 55 points in the NFC title game, made enough meaningful change to spark a Super Bowl run? 3. Week 10, Monday Night Football: Philadelphia Eagles at Green Bay Packers Jan 12, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell (27) makes an interception against the Green Bay Packers in an NFC wild card game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images The Eagles won last year's season opener against Green Bay in Sao Paolo on a slippery soccer pitch. They then dispatched the Pack 22-10 to kick off their playoff run to a world championship. But Philadelphia was beset by veteran departures while the Packers added talent. Now the two meet on what should be a crisp fall evening in Wisconsin; the winner could wind up with an edge for homefield advantage on the NFC side of the 2026 NFL playoff bracket. 2. Week 3, Monday Night Football: Detroit Lions at Baltimore Ravens Two contenders with plenty to prove in 2025. The Lions failed to break through to the Super Bowl, then lost both their offensive and defensive coordinators. The Ravens continued a cycle of postseason failure that threatens to leave Lamar Jackson with as many MVP awards as playoff wins. Each side will have the chance to make a statement -- whether that's Zach Orr's defense shutting down Detroit's dynamic attack or Dan Campbell's Lions out-bludgeoning a heavy-handed Baltimore. 1. Week 17, Thursday Night Football: Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs Barring a massive and shocking meltdown, the Chiefs will be in playoff position come Christmas. But after last season's shocking revival, the Broncos could stand between them and a 10th straight AFC West title. Denver leveled up by letting Bo Nix lob bombs and write his own story as an NFL deep ball maestro. 2025 offered him some modest help (RJ Harvey, let's see what you've got), but the Broncos' fate lies with a dominant defense that added more heavy hitters this offseason -- exactly the kind of guys who can chase Patrick Mahomes and turn his rare mistakes into back-breaking points. This article originally appeared on For The Win: The 7 best prime time games of 2025: Commanders-Chiefs is gonna be rad
