NFL Team Bans Video Games From Locker Room Amid 1-5 Start

Originally posted on The Spun | By Tzvi Machlin | Last updated Oct 21, 2025 4:14 PM ET

With the Baltimore Ravens' season spiraling out of control, the team is apparently resorting to drastic measures to ensure everyone is giving their all on Sundays.

According to The Baltimore Sun, the Ravens have removed a number of "recreational staples" of their locker room, such as a basketball hoop near several players' lockers, a ping-pong table, cornhole boards and even their video game consoles. The Baltimore Sun noted that the team would regularly enjoy intense rounds of Super Smash Bros. late in the day after practice.

"The Ravens promptly removed several recreational staples from the locker room, including the basketball hoop near Jackson’s and Flowers’ stalls, the pingpong table that rookies Buchanan and Mike Green often battled on after practice, the once-popular cornhole boards, and yes, the video game consoles, often lit up with intense rounds of Super Smash Bros., that regularly drew small crowds of teammates late in the day," the outlet reported.

After losing to the Chiefs and a 1-3 start, the Ravens removed all the locker room fun stuff: a basketball hoop, pingpong table, cornhole boards, and video game consoles, often lit up with Super Smash Bros.

More from inside Baltimore's stunning slide: https://t.co/XYq1Ckvgxv pic.twitter.com/tXBiMkIIdl
— Sam Cohn (@samdcohn) October 21, 2025

It's unlikely that changes to the locker room are going to wind up fixing the product on the field though. It may even do more harm than help if the players can't effectively decompress from a tough day of practice.

The problem that the Ravens have right now come down to a number of things ranging from injuries to poor defense.

Oct 6, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh walks off the field after the victory over the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images© Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

State of the Ravens

The Ravens have gotten off to a rough start in the 2025 NFL season, currently standing at a 1–5 record, marking their worst start since 2015. While their offense isn’t entirely dormant — averaging 24.0 points per game (14th in the league) — their defense is significantly underperforming, allowing a league-worst 32.3 points per game and ranking 32nd overall. Key games highlight the struggles: after a 41-17 Week 2 win over the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore has dropped four straight, including a 10-44 home loss to the Houston Texans in Week 5.

Compounding the issues, star quarterback Lamar Jackson remains sidelined with a hamstring injury, missing multiple practices since Week 4 and casting further uncertainty over the team’s offensive rhythm. In his absence, backup quarterback Cooper Rush has struggled to generate consistent offense, and the team is now positioned at fourth in the AFC North, with one of the worst playoff odds in the conference. While the remainder of the schedule offers some hope for turnaround, the Ravens will need significant improvements on both sides of the ball if they intend to salvage the season.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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