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On paper, that doesn’t sound like a disaster. Nine games remain, and the NFL is filled with stories of teams that overcame mediocre starts to reach the playoffs.
But anyone who watched Sunday’s humiliating 36-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills knows better.
Lamar Jackson is sidelined with a thumb injury. Backup Tyler Huntley was also injured Sunday, leaving Baltimore with undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano trying to operate behind an offensive line that has struggled to protect anyone.
The defense isn’t good enough to compensate. The kicking game has become a liability. And a roster assembled with Super Bowl aspirations suddenly looks incapable of competing with the AFC’s better teams.
This isn’t simply a season derailed by injuries.
It’s an organizational failure.
And the worst thing the Ravens could do now is waste the remainder of 2026 chasing an unlikely playoff berth while postponing the difficult decisions that could make them contenders again next year.
The approaching NFL trade deadline presents an opportunity to begin that transformation immediately.
Veterans should be shopped. Draft capital should be accumulated. Salary-cap flexibility should be prioritized. Every personnel decision should be measured against one question:
But before any of those decisions are made, Baltimore needs to address the person responsible for constructing this deeply flawed roster.
General manager Eric DeCosta should be the first to go.
He built this team. He shouldn’t be entrusted with rebuilding it.
Eric DeCosta shouldn’t be allowed to spend another day running the Baltimore Ravens.
Frankly, owner Steve Bisciotti should consider firing him on the plane ride home from Buffalo. If not, he should be gone by Monday morning.
That’s how urgently Baltimore needs a change in leadership.
DeCosta has been the Ravens’ general manager since 2019. He’s had seven years to build a championship roster around Jackson, one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in NFL history.
And what does Baltimore have to show for it?
No Super Bowl appearances. An offensive line that can’t adequately protect its franchise quarterback. An expensive defense that continues to disappoint. And a roster that looks increasingly incapable of competing with the NFL’s elite.
DeCosta has made some good moves along the way. But those successes don’t excuse the mess he’s created.
The Ravens don’t need another offseason of DeCosta attempting to fix his own mistakes.
The timing presents an obvious complication. With the NFL trade deadline approaching, Baltimore cannot realistically conduct a general manager search and have a replacement in place before important personnel decisions must be made.
Fortunately, the Ravens have a solution already in the building.
The Hall of Fame tight end and former Ravens general manager built two Super Bowl championship teams in Baltimore and remains with the organization as its executive vice president.
Newsome knows the roster, understands the franchise’s culture and has decades of experience evaluating personnel and negotiating deals.
Bisciotti should ask Newsome to take temporary control of football personnel operations, including the trade deadline, while the organization immediately begins searching for DeCosta’s permanent replacement.
Newsome doesn’t need to return as general manager full time. He simply needs to provide a steady, experienced hand while Baltimore begins its transition.
And his instructions should be clear.
Shop Roquan Smith. Explore the market for Marlon Humphrey. Listen to offers for every expensive veteran who isn’t essential to the team’s future. Accumulate draft capital wherever reasonable value can be obtained.
The objective isn’t to save 2026.
It’s to give the next general manager the resources and flexibility to build a championship contender in 2027.
That’s why DeCosta needs to go now, not after the season.
Every trade, contract decision and personnel move made between now and January could influence Baltimore’s ability to compete next year.
Those decisions shouldn’t be left to the executive responsible for assembling a roster that has fallen so spectacularly short of expectations.
Bisciotti already made the difficult decision to move on from John Harbaugh.
Now he needs to finish the job.
The Ravens should waive Tyler Loop.
The second-year kicker has become another symbol of a team that can’t seem to get out of its own way.
Loop missed another field goal Sunday and sent a kickoff out of bounds, giving Buffalo favorable field position. His problems keeping kickoffs in bounds were already a recurring issue last season.
The Ravens spent years enjoying the extraordinary reliability of Justin Tucker. Nobody expects Loop to duplicate one of the greatest kicking careers in NFL history.
But making makeable field goals and keeping kickoffs in bounds are basic requirements of the job.
Baltimore has enough problems without its kicking game creating additional ones.
Loop may eventually develop into a dependable NFL kicker.
Let him do it somewhere else.
Roquan Smith has been one of Baltimore’s most important defensive players since arriving in 2022.
He’s physical, experienced and capable of making an immediate impact for a contender.
Those are precisely the reasons the Ravens should explore trading him.
Smith is an expensive veteran on a team that needs to get younger, more financially flexible and better positioned for the future.
A contender looking for an established defensive leader could view him as an attractive addition.
If Baltimore can obtain meaningful draft compensation while improving its future salary-cap position, it should seriously consider the opportunity.
Smith isn’t the reason the Ravens are struggling.
But keeping every expensive veteran simply because he has been productive is how teams become trapped between competing and rebuilding.
The Ravens need to determine which players fit their next championship window.
If Smith doesn’t fit that timeline, Baltimore should maximize his value now.
Marlon Humphrey has been an outstanding Raven.
He has played physical football, embraced Baltimore’s defensive identity and delivered memorable performances.
But NFL teams cannot build successful futures by paying premium prices for past accomplishments.
Humphrey is another veteran whose age, contract and future role deserve serious examination.
If a contender offers reasonable draft compensation, Baltimore should make the trade.
If no worthwhile market develops, the Ravens should evaluate releasing him during the offseason, when the salary-cap consequences can be properly assessed.
Baltimore needs younger, faster defensive backs capable of handling the league’s increasingly explosive passing attacks.
Humphrey’s legacy in Baltimore is secure.
That doesn’t mean his roster spot should be.
Smith and Humphrey should only be the beginning.
The Ravens should be contacting potential buyers to determine what other teams might offer for Baltimore’s veteran talent.
Derrick Henry, Ronnie Stanley and other established players should at least be part of those conversations.
That doesn’t mean the Ravens should give away productive veterans.
It means they should stop pretending that every player on the roster is essential to a championship run that no longer appears realistic.
Henry, in particular, deserves consideration.
He’s been one of the greatest running backs of his generation, but Baltimore needs to determine whether keeping an aging star makes sense if the organization is preparing for a substantial roster reset.
The same logic applies throughout the roster.
If another team is willing to surrender valuable draft capital for a player who may not be part of Baltimore’s plans beyond 2026, the Ravens should listen.
There is one important distinction.
Cleaning house doesn’t mean holding a fire sale.
The Ravens should demand fair value and avoid trades that create more financial problems than they solve.
But no expensive veteran should be considered untouchable simply because of his name.
Baltimore has a limited window before the trade deadline to begin turning its veterans into assets for the future.
The Ravens have spent years asking Jackson to overcome deficiencies in pass protection.
That approach needs to end.
Baltimore’s offensive line has become one of the organization’s most glaring weaknesses.
Jackson has been injured. Huntley has been injured. And now the Ravens are relying on an undrafted rookie to operate an offense that has struggled to protect experienced quarterbacks.
That’s not proof that the offensive line caused every injury.
It is another reminder of how precarious Baltimore’s quarterback situation has become.
The Ravens need to make offensive line reconstruction their top offseason personnel priority.
That means investing premium draft capital, pursuing legitimate starting talent and developing enough depth to withstand injuries.
Jackson’s mobility should be a weapon.
It shouldn’t be a survival mechanism.
If Baltimore wants Jackson to remain its franchise quarterback for years to come, it needs to protect him like one.
Lamar Jackson’s 2026 season has taken another devastating turn.
Coach Jesse Minter confirmed that Jackson will undergo surgery for a fractured thumb and is headed to injured reserve, ending any realistic hope that the two-time NFL MVP can rescue Baltimore’s collapsing season.
Now the Ravens face a question far more consequential than whether Jackson can return this year.
Should they commit record-breaking money to a quarterback whose availability has become an increasingly serious concern? Or is it time to consider the previously unthinkable — rebuilding without Lamar Jackson?
There are compelling arguments on both sides.
Jackson is one of the most electrifying players in NFL history. When healthy, he’s capable of making plays that virtually no other quarterback can make. His combination of arm talent, speed, creativity and improvisational ability has carried Baltimore through stretches when the talent surrounding him wasn’t nearly good enough.
He’s also 29 years old, has missed significant time with injuries during his career and plays a style of football that places extraordinary demands on his body.
Jackson isn’t merely a quarterback who happens to be mobile. His ability to threaten defenses with his legs is a fundamental part of what makes Baltimore’s offense so difficult to defend.
That doesn’t mean he can’t evolve into a more traditional pocket passer. He’s already demonstrated considerable growth in that area.
But taking away the threat of Jackson running changes how opponents defend him.
And committing what could become the richest quarterback contract in NFL history to a player whose health has become a recurring concern carries enormous risk.
Finding a franchise quarterback is the hardest thing to do in the NFL.
The Ravens already have one.
Jackson is a two-time MVP, a proven winner and a player capable of transforming an otherwise ordinary offense into something extraordinary.
Trading him would mean voluntarily surrendering that advantage without any guarantee of finding a comparable replacement.
Baltimore could spend the next decade searching for another quarterback with Jackson’s ability.
And there’s a reasonable argument that the organization, rather than Jackson, deserves much of the blame for the predicament it now faces.
The Ravens have repeatedly failed to provide the consistently strong offensive line necessary to protect their most important player.
They’ve asked Jackson to compensate for deficiencies elsewhere on the roster, often relying on his athleticism to escape pressure and manufacture plays.
Perhaps the answer isn’t to move on from Jackson.
Perhaps it’s to finally build the kind of team that doesn’t require him to be Superman every Sunday.
A reconstructed offensive line, a more balanced offense and a defense capable of protecting leads could reduce the burden on Jackson while extending his productive years.
And a 2027 reset doesn’t necessarily have to mean a prolonged rebuild.
With the right personnel decisions, Baltimore could return to contention quickly.
If Jackson believes in that plan and wants to remain in Baltimore, retaining him could be the fastest route back to championship contention.
Then there’s the argument nobody in Baltimore wanted to contemplate a few years ago.
What if the Ravens’ best opportunity to build their next championship team involves trading their franchise quarterback?
Jackson’s talent is undeniable.
So is the financial risk of committing another massive contract to a player with a growing injury history.
A record-setting extension would consume a significant portion of Baltimore’s future resources. That money could otherwise be used to rebuild the offensive line, strengthen the defense and address numerous weaknesses across the roster.
And Jackson’s trade value, while affected by his injuries and contract situation, could still be substantial.
A quarterback-needy franchise might be willing to surrender multiple premium draft picks for the opportunity to acquire a two-time MVP who is still in his prime.
Those picks could give Baltimore the ammunition to accelerate a comprehensive rebuild, potentially including the selection of its next franchise quarterback.
There’s another question the Ravens must consider.
Would Jackson even want to be part of a rebuild?
He’s approaching 30. He’s already spent years pursuing a championship in Baltimore. And his remaining prime seasons are too valuable to waste on a team that might need several years to reconstruct its roster.
If the Ravens decide to trade expensive veterans, accumulate draft picks and accept a step backward before competing again, Jackson might reasonably question whether that timeline fits his own ambitions.
And Baltimore should be asking the same question.
Does it make sense to commit historic money to Jackson if the franchise isn’t prepared to surround him with a championship-caliber roster immediately?
Would the Ravens be better served using his trade value to build a younger, more financially flexible team?
Those are uncomfortable questions.
But they’re questions a new general manager must be willing to ask.
Jackson has given the Ravens extraordinary football and countless unforgettable moments.
He deserves respect, appreciation and a fair opportunity to compete for a championship.
But Baltimore cannot allow loyalty or fear of the unknown to dictate the most important financial decision in franchise history.
The next general manager needs to sit down with Jackson and his representatives and determine whether their visions align.
If Jackson wants to remain in Baltimore, and the Ravens believe they can build a legitimate contender around him in 2027, keeping him makes sense.
But that commitment needs to come with a realistic assessment of his health, contract demands and the resources required to build a complete team.
If Jackson wants a record-breaking deal while the Ravens are preparing for a more extensive rebuild, both sides may be better served by exploring a trade.
The worst possible outcome would be committing enormous money to Jackson without a credible plan to win with him.
Baltimore has spent years building its identity around one extraordinary quarterback.
Now it needs to decide whether that quarterback is the foundation of its next championship window — or the asset that could finance an entirely new one.
Neither choice is without risk.
But after the collapse of 2026, refusing to consider both would be the biggest mistake of all.
Jesse Minter inherited enormous expectations when he replaced John Harbaugh.
He also inherited a roster assembled by DeCosta and a franchise accustomed to winning.
Eight games into his first season, the results have been disappointing.
But firing another coach after half a season would accomplish little.
Minter deserves an opportunity to build the kind of team he wants.
That should include a meaningful voice in selecting a new general manager and reshaping the roster.
Baltimore already made one major organizational change when it moved on from Harbaugh.
Now it needs to finish the job.
Replacing the head coach while leaving the same front-office decision-making structure in place was never going to guarantee a different result.
Minter should be evaluated on what he can accomplish with a roster designed to fit his vision, not simply on his ability to repair the deficiencies he inherited.
There is a difference between giving up and recognizing when it’s time to change direction.
The Ravens should continue competing every Sunday. Their coaches should prepare to win, and their younger players should use the remaining games to prove they belong in the NFL.
But the organization’s leadership must operate with a different objective.
That means replacing DeCosta, moving expensive veterans who don’t fit the future, accumulating draft picks and addressing the offensive line once and for all.
It means giving Minter an opportunity to build a roster suited to his vision.
It means protecting Jackson rather than risking his health in a desperate attempt to salvage a lost season.
And it means recognizing that the Ravens don’t have to spend years rebuilding if they make the right decisions now.
Bisciotti has an opportunity to turn a disastrous 2026 season into the foundation of something much better.
But he has to act.
Start with DeCosta.
Put Newsome in temporary charge.
Then close the Loop.
Shop the veterans. Rebuild the offensive line. Protect the quarterback.
And make every decision with 2027 in mind.
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