Troubling nightmare scenario looms over 2025 Ravens offense

The Baltimore Ravens offense is poised to wreck opposing defenses again in 2025. They barely lost any talent, and younger playmakers are only getting better. However, one question surrounds the offense: will the aging superstar running back Derrick Henry finally regress?

In a recent article, Bleacher Report writer Brad Gagnon highlighted one nightmare scenario for each NFL team. His terrifying sentence for Baltimore was regarding Henry.

“Father Time finally catches up to a 31-year-old Derrick Henry just after signing a big, new contract, and the Ravens move in the wrong direction as a result,” Gagnon wrote.

Derrick Henry nightmare scenario could push Ravens back a step.

There's a rightful reason for analysts to be worried about Henry. At 31, the five-time Pro Bowler is entering his 10th NFL season. He’s gotten to the point in his career where most running backs start to die out or at least slow down. For Henry, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Henry is coming off one of the best seasons of his career, amassing 1,921 yards and 16 touchdowns. It was also his most efficient season to date. The physical back had a career-high 5.9 yards per carry on 325 attempts. In most cases, that number of carries would run a ball carrier into the ground, but it seems Henry gets better by the carry and the year.

Baltimore thought this campaign was worthy of an extension, giving him another two years on his deal and $30 million. While in most cases a running back would lose a step by now, Henry's unreal workout routine has allowed him to stay competitive each year.

If he does slow down this season, the offense will take a hit. Henry is one of the few offensive talents in the league that’s almost impossible to slow down. His physicality on the ground and ability to shake off would-be tacklers is second to none. Age catching up to him would be disappointing, but it wouldn't spell the end of Baltimore’s offensive dominance.

Quarterback Lamar Jackson is one of the best passers from the pocket in the league. He threw for 4,172 yards and 41 touchdowns in 2024. There’s a wealth of weapons surrounding the two-time MVP as well. Wide receivers Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman are always threats in the open field, and the tight end duo of Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely are two of the most prominent end zone threats in football.

The rushing attack would lose its luster next year if Henry falls off his throne, but there’s also enough talent there for the coaching staff to have hope they can still succeed. Justice Hill is an underrated weapon in Baltimore’s offense. He makes the most of his opportunities and changes the pace of the game when Henry needs a breather, but he’s not the most underrated name going into next season.

Keaton Mitchell dazzled in his limited showing in 2023 before tearing his ACL. He brought some electricity to the Ravens offense with 396 yards on 47 attempts, an otherworldly 8.4 yards per carry.  In 2025, he should be back to himself and provide an insurance plan for Henry in case he finally slows down.

Not much would keep Baltimore from competing this season, but Henry’s regression might be one scenario that could take them out of Super Bowl contention. They still have the talent to be a fierce foe in the AFC, but if Gagnon’s nightmare scenario comes true, panic bells could set off surrounding the Ravens.

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