BALTIMORE — In years past, they were called prima donnas.
It’s the nature of being a star receiver or tight end in the NFL. If they don’t get enough catches, they complain. If they don’t score enough touchdowns, they criticize.
Whah, whah, whah …
It will be a major concern for Ravens coach John Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Todd Monken heading into the 2025 season.
The Ravens have loaded up with receivers. They have a sure-handed veteran like DeAndre Hopkins, the fast, elusive type with slot receiver Zay Flowers, a strong route runner in Rashod Bateman, and maybe the best group of tight ends in the league with Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar.
Overall, this group isn’t on par with Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins or Tampa Bay’s Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, but they should be good — even exceptional at times.
But when does the complaining start? It’s going to happen, just as sure as the Ravens wear purple on game day.
“I think at the end of the day, it has to be an unselfish group,” Andrews said. “And that’s not to say that guys aren’t going to want the rock and to have their yards, have their carries or have their catches, and I think that’s a great thing. I think [Monken] talks about that a lot. And for us, it’s being unselfish, trusting the process and trusting No. 8. He makes incredible reads, incredible decisions, and it leads us to victories. And when we do that, good things will happen.
“It’s about being there for him.”
It all starts with victories. The more wins a team has, the less the players can complain. But it’s also about high-maintenance personalities, emotional moments and the type of offense a team operates.
Oh, and let’s not forget about contracts. Likely, Andrews and Hopkins are in the final years of their deals.
This will all be interesting to watch.
“I think this [wide receivers] room is full of unselfish receivers, and I think last year was a testimony to that,” Hopkins said. “Those guys are winning games and just balling out. I think both of the [starting] receivers had good years last year. So, coming into it, I feel like it was a good group already from what I heard about them. Then, coming here, they just want to win and play unselfish ball.”
Receivers are emotional types. They complain just to complain, and No. 1 receivers are more prone to outbursts. The Ravens have had two in their brief 30-year history with Derrick Mason and later Steve Smith Sr., one of my favorites.
Smith didn’t have a chip on his shoulder, but a mountain. Yet, that’s what drove the 5-foot-9, 195-pound receiver and made him great. Hopkins has had similar success. Drafted in the first round by the Houston Texans in 2013, Hopkins, 33, has been the top receiver in Houston, Arizona and Tennessee before moving on to Kansas City last year and Baltimore this season.
Hopkins has 984 catches for 12,965 yards for 83 touchdowns in 178 career games, so it might be a struggle for him dropping from the No. 1 target to possibly No. 3.
“Oh, when he didn’t get the ball in Arizona, he certainly let [Cardinals quarterback Kyle Murray] know about it,” said one of his former teammates in Arizona. “He won’t hesitate to jump a quarterback. This will be interesting for him with the Ravens.”
Hopkins has a one-year contract for $5 million this season but could make as much as $6 million. Andrews, 29, has a salary cap number of almost $17 million this season, possibly his last with Baltimore. Likely, 25, is in the final year of his rookie deal worth $3.4 million.
Andrews has been quarterback Lamar Jackson’s favorite target since both joined were drafted in 2018, and that won’t change, especially from what we’ve seen so far in training camp. When the Ravens need a play, Jackson has tunnel vision to Andrews.
But three years ago, Ravens officials didn’t bring Andrews to the podium after he didn’t register a catch in a game. Before the start of last season, Bateman sulked during organized team activities when he wasn’t involved much in the offense until the Ravens signed him to a three-year, $37 million contract extension on June 5.
Now, all of them are in the mix.
There are other dynamics involved as well. The Ravens prefer to be balanced, like every team in the NFL, but this is a run-oriented offense. The Ravens had 554 rushing attempts last season for 3,189 yards and halfback Derrick Henry had 325 carries for 1,921 of those yards.
Jackson threw for 4,172 yards on 474 attempts and rushed 139 times for 915 yards. He threw 41 touchdown passes and rushed for four more scores.
The emphasis, as it should be, will be on the running game. The other factor is that the Ravens don’t have good pass blockers, which was clearly evident last season and again against Indianapolis in the preseason opener. Jackson loves to improvise, but he’s more of a factor as a runner than a passer.
Will this encourage or discourage the complaints?
Jackson isn’t an in-your-face quarterback. That’s not his style. He is harder on himself than on his teammates. Maybe that changes, but it probably won’t.
“Lamar is more vocal than he ever has been about what he wants from us, even to the staff and the offensive linemen,” Bateman said. “He’s definitely pushing the agenda of just staying hungry and being competitive. He’s definitely a competitive guy, and he’s leading us in the right direction with that.”
That’s where Monken and Harbaugh have to step in. Monken has that old-school, salty demeanor. He’s been around the NFL for four years before running the offense at the University of Georgia from 2020 to 2022, but he is aware that the ball has to be spread around. Yet, he will only take so much.
Harbaugh is more of a politician, unlike his younger brother, Jim. John can be direct at times, but has evolved as a coach. Shortly after the Ravens’ 2012 championship season, he learned how to handle high-maintenance personalities to be successful.
Notice how he cajoles Jackson, always telling him about his greatness. He got a couple of good years out of disgruntled cornerback Marcus Peters from 2019 to 2022.
This year, though, could be different. It’s just not one or two players, but five or six. It’s all part of a season filled with expectations, which at times could become a distraction.
Monken and Harbaugh need to be prepared.
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