7 Ravens players that could be facing make-or-break seasons in 2026
· Yahoo Sports
The Baltimore Ravens enter 2026 with championship aspirations, a revamped coaching staff, and one of the NFL's deepest rosters. Contending teams, however, always carry difficult evaluations beneath the surface. Some players are battling for second contracts. Others are fighting to prove their draft pedigree, hold on to roster spots, or establish themselves as long-term building blocks. Baltimore has stars like Lamar Jackson, Roquan Smith, and Kyle Hamilton locked firmly into the franchise's future, but several key contributors enter the season facing enormous pressure to deliver.
Trenton Simpson headlines the list, entering the final year of his rookie contract after struggling to fully seize a larger defensive role. T.J. Tampa remains a player Baltimore needs to see more from entering Year 3, while Devontez Walker faces increased competition after Baltimore added Ja'Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt to the receiver room. Adisa Isaac needs to prove he can stay healthy and consistently impact games, while Rasheen Ali enters a critical year after Baltimore reshaped the backfield depth chart. Offensive lineman Andrew Vorhees faces pressure amid Baltimore's youth movement up front, and veteran Broderick Washington could be fighting to maintain his place long term as Baltimore continues getting younger and more explosive defensively.
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With OTAs quickly moving along, we're looking at seven Ravens facing make-or-break seasons.
RB Rasheen Ali
The third-year running back finished the 2025 season with seven carries for 24 yards, along with nine catches for 68 yards and a touchdown on 11 targets. He also compiled 763 kickoff-return yards. With Keaton Mitchell joining the Chargers, Ali will battle Justice Hill for consistent playing time.
WR Rashod Bateman
Bateman had a down year and even missed the AFC North title game due to illness. After a career year in 2024, Bateman finished last season with 13 games played, 12 starts, 38 targets, 19 receptions, 224 yards receiving, and two touchdowns. A down year under Jesse Minter could warrant separation.
WR Devontez Walker
Walker is a touchdown machine but remains unproven heading into Year 3. Walker is on the cusp of a huge leap and needs the snaps as the big play option in Declan Doyle's offense. A highlight reel when he's in the lineup, Walker had six catches for 136 yards and three touchdowns on eight targets in 12 regular-season games for the Ravens in 2025. Overall, Walker has seven catches on 11 career targets, for 157 yards and three touchdowns in his brief career. Five of his seven catches have gone for over 20 yards. Dating back to his rookie season, Walker's first three catches all went for touchdowns. Walker may never be the second or third option, but the next offensive coordinator has to figure out more snaps in key situations for the pass catcher. His push to earn a critical role saw more adversity after the Ravens added Ja'Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt in the NFL Draft. With a new coaching staff, this could be Walker's final attempt to carve out a role in Baltimore.
DE Broderick Washington
A key piece of Baltimore's defensive front for the past six seasons, Washington has four tackles and one start this season before being placed on Injured Reserve after ankle surgery. Releasing Washington with a post-June 1 designation would save the Ravens $4,010,000, with $1,850,000 in dead salary cap space.
OLB Adisa Isaac
The 24-year-old Isaac has had his first two seasons cut short by injury, playing in just four of 36 possible games. With Zion Young's addition, it'll be hard for the former Penn State star to find snaps.
LB Trenton Simpson
Simpson logged a career-high 2.5 sacks and recorded 66 total tackles (34 solo), including 2.5 sacks, and one pass defensed in 17 regular-season games in 2025. and finished with seven fewer total tackles than in 2024, while playing 213 fewer defensive snaps. It's now or never for the former Clemson linebacker.
CB T.J. Tampa
Few Ravens defenders enter OTAs with more pressure attached to their development than T.J. Tampa. Now entering Year 3, Tampa still has not carved out a meaningful defensive role despite possessing intriguing physical traits. Baltimore added more competition again this offseason, including rookie Chandler Rivers and additional veteran depth.
With Humphrey aging and Baltimore constantly searching for reliable secondary contributors, this feels like an enormous summer for Tampa's future with the organization.
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: 7 Ravens players that could be facing make-or-break seasons in 2026