Concern for Derrick Henry has quickly turned into Lamar Jackson disrespect

The Baltimore Ravens added Derrick Henry last offseason, and as expected, they were unstoppable. The team went 12-5 in the regular season, and lost a heartbreaker in the Divisional Round. Henry had the second best season of his career, rushing for 1,921 yards and 16 touchdowns. Now, the team is running things back, hoping to actually get to the Super Bowl this time.

In the offseason, that’s every team’s goal, but each franchise has obstacles that could prevent that from happening. Analysts have spent the offseason trying to identify each team’s biggest obstacle, and a consistent one has emerged for the Ravens. The belief is that Baltimore’s season could go awry if Derrick Henry starts to show signs of aging, or if the new starters on the interior offensive line can’t play up to the standard of last season’s group.

Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton recently made this argument in a piece detailing one flaw that could derail Super Bowl contenders, and Kristopher Knox also made a similar case in a Bleacher Report piece looking at every team’s best- and worst-case scenario for the 2025 season.

While that certainly would be a concerning situation for the Ravens, the notion that it would doom their season overlooks one important factor: Lamar Jackson is still the team’s quarterback.

Lamar Jackson is still the engine that makes the Ravens go

Henry was a phenomenal pick up for Baltimore, and he clearly raised the team’s ceiling. However, make no mistake about it, Lamar Jackson is still the special sauce in Baltimore. The two-time MVP had the best season of his career last year, and he didn’t even win the award. He completed 66.7% of his passes for 4,172 yards and 41 touchdowns, with just four interceptions. He also carried the ball for 915 yards and four additional touchdowns.

Henry definitely made Jackson’s job easier, but the dynamic quarterback made things easier for the running back as well. Hopefully, that will continue in 2025, and there won’t be a regression from anyone. However, if Henry or the offensive line does take a step back, Lamar Jackson has proven that’s he’s more than capable of carrying the team.

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