The Baltimore Ravens’ 2025 season has spiraled in a direction few saw coming. Once expected to compete for the AFC crown, John Harbaugh’s team sits at 1-5 after a dismal loss to the Los Angeles Rams. However, the locker room could soon get a jolt of leadership, both on and off the field.
Linebacker Roquan Smith returned to practice this week for the first time since late September and declared himself ready for the upcoming matchup against the Chicago Bears, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.
“Ravens MLB Roquan Smith says he will play Sunday against the Bears. He missed the past two games with a hamstring injury,” Hensley reported. Smith’s return couldn’t come at a better time. Baltimore’s defense ranks near the bottom of the league, surrendering 380.8 yards and over 32 points per game — numbers that have led to increasing scrutiny of the coaching staff.
With pressure mounting and the team desperate to regain focus, Ravens coaches took an unusual step this week. According to The Baltimore Sun, the organization removed all leisure equipment from the team’s locker room — including the ping pong table, basketball hoop, video game consoles, and cornhole boards — in an effort to refocus the players after the 1-5 start. The move is being seen internally as a statement: the time for distractions is over.
After falling to 1-5, the Ravens removed the players' ping pong table, video game consoles, basketball hoop, and corn hole boards from the locker room.
(via @baltimoresun) pic.twitter.com/P3q4U0J9IR
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) October 21, 2025
Harbaugh said the message to his players remains about staying committed to improvement, not frustration. “Like I told the guys, you can’t allow the weight of disappointment to derail you,” Harbaugh said earlier this week. “We can still accomplish what we want if we stay together and get back to playing our brand of football.”
The decision follows a tense few weeks inside the Ravens’ facility. Star receiver Zay Flowers recently apologized to reporters for leaving postgame interviews following the loss to the Rams, owning up to his mistakes and vowing to be more accountable. The gesture struck a chord with teammates, who have echoed the need for accountability and discipline across the roster.
The Ravens now face the Bears in Week 8, hoping to reset their season with a renewed sense of purpose. Whether the removal of locker room perks or Smith’s return sparks change remains to be seen, but Baltimore’s message is loud and clear: the fun stops until the winning starts.
