Ravens tipped for 2026 bounce back, but with 1 huge 'if'

The Baltimore Ravens will want to forget the 2025 season as quickly as possible, and with new head coach Jesse Minter taking over, that will be the hope.

Set to reportedly call plays on the defensive side, the Minter era is expected to get off to a good start.

He has shown what he can do with a defense in L.A., but the Ravens' biggest questions are on the offensive side of the ball, and more to the point, one player -- Lamar Jackson.

For CBS Sports' Jared Dubin, he has named the Ravens one of five teams to bounce back in 2026, but his pick comes with a huge question mark.

"The Ravens are here largely for one reason: Lamar Jackson should be healthier in 2026 than he was in 2025,” Dubin writes. “If Jackson is on the field and healthy, the Ravens are going to win more games than they did this year.”

More: Analyst predicts Chiefs' Travis Kelce will pull a Rob Gronkowski this offseason

Is it really all on Lamar?

Unfortunately, when you are seen as one of the best quarterbacks in the league and are paid near the top of the market, yes, it all falls on you.

And for Lamar, he's shown he is capable of leading this team deep into the postseason, but there still hasn't been a Super Bowl appearance yet.

Granted, in 2026, the first port of call under Minter is to simply make the playoffs after missing last season, and once there, the trek to the summit can begin.

But the Ravens won't make the playoffs if Lamar again has injury issues, which is why this offseason is crucial in figuring out a program that keeps No. 8 on the field. 

Do that for all 17 games, and Baltimore's bounce-back will be rather impressive.

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