AFC North

Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey kept the receipts.

After the Buffalo Bills defeated his Ravens in the AFC Divisional Round, one of the victorious players apparently took a shot at Baltimore having nine Pro Bowlers and still falling short:

One thing was clear—the @BuffaloBills felt disrespected. Right or wrong, it was a rallying cry, and Josh Allen brought up at halftime the narrative that the Bills weren't big or strong enough.

On the way out, I heard a guy say, "Now those 9 Pro Bowlers can go to the Pro Bowl." https://t.co/M13oe8TBS8

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) January 20, 2025

Well, Buffalo's season came to an end Sunday with a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. Humphrey seized the opportunity to bring things full circle when he took to social media and said, "after the pro bowl maybe we can all go enjoy Cancun."

There's a certain level of irony with Humphrey poking fun at the Bills after their loss.

After all, it was just a handful of days ago that he took to social media and urged Buffalo to defeat the Chiefs and prevent Patrick Mahomes and Co. from making history as the first team in the NFL to win three straight Super Bowls:

I have no reason of saying this other than being a hater. The Bills or whatever NFC team gotta beat the Chiefs. We can’t let them keep getting away with this

— marlonhumphrey.eth (@marlon_humphrey) January 21, 2025

Humphrey and NFL fans who are tired of the Chiefs winning now have to put their hopes on the Philadelphia Eagles.

It will be a rematch of Super Bowl LVII, which Kansas City won 38-35. However, Philadelphia didn't have Saquon Barkley on its side for that one, which could be the difference this time around.

But defeating a Chiefs team that feels inevitable is easier said than done.

Buffalo certainly knows that considering it has lost to Mahomes' side in four of the last five postseasons. Two of those losses came in the AFC Championship Game, with Sunday coming in particularly painful fashion since it had a fourth-quarter lead.

Humphrey knows what it's like to lose to the Chiefs at this stage since Kansas City defeated the Ravens in last season's AFC Championship Game.

Ultimately, there is nobody in the NFL better at sending opponents to Cancun than Mahomes.

Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews broke his silence on his disappointing mistakes in the team's 27-25 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Divisional Round last Sunday.

"It's impossible to adequately express how I feel. I'm absolutely gutted by what happened on Sunday," Andrews wrote in the caption of his most recent Instagram post. "I'm devastated for my teammates, my coaches and Ravens fans."

Mark Andrews on IG: pic.twitter.com/pToANmX2NF

— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) January 23, 2025

Andrews had a team-high five catches but produced just 61 yards and committed a pair of costly blunders in the fourth quarter. He lost a fumble midway through the period that resulted in a field goal that gave Buffalo an eight-point lead.

When Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson led the team on an eight-play, 88-yard touchdown drive on the team's next possession, he looked to Andrews to complete the two-point conversion attempt to tie the game. However, the normally surehanded tight end dropped the pass.

The two-point conversion is no good 😳

📺: #BALvsBUF on CBS
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus and Paramount+ pic.twitter.com/s1DAo0tdm1

— NFL (@NFL) January 20, 2025

The mistakes were uncharacteristic for Andrews, who had previously lost just one fumble in his entire career and had just three drops in all of 2024.

Naturally, Andrews has faced a wave of negativity since Sunday's loss, but it didn't outweigh how much he's been beating himself up. He wrote that he will use the situation as fuel to bounce back in a big way the next time he's on the field.

"I pour every ounce of my being into playing at the highest level possible, because I love my team and the game of football like nothing else. That is why it's taken me until now to collect my thoughts and address this publicly," Andrews wrote. "Even though the shock and disappointment are unlike anything I've felt before, I refuse to let the situation define me. I promise that this adversity will only make me stronger and fuel us as we move forward."

The Pittsburgh Steelers announced Thursday that the 2026 NFL draft in the city will be held from Thursday, April 23 through Saturday, April 25.

The 2026 #NFLDraft dates are set 🙌

📝: https://t.co/AFACCNjwKj pic.twitter.com/WhcgAEQfMH

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) January 23, 2025

Pittsburgh will be the latest city to host the event after the NFL moved it away from New York City, which served as the host from 1965 to 2014 and often utilized the Radio City Music Hall as the venue.

In the intervening years, the host cities for the event have included Chicago (2015-16), Philadelphia (2017), Arlington (2018), Nashville (2019), Cleveland (2021), Las Vegas (2022), Kansas City (2023) and Detroit (2024). In 2020, the draft was held remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year, Green Bay will host the event.

The host cities have made the draft quite the spectacle, bringing a regional flair to event, and Pittsburgh is expected to continue in that tradition.

"As we move closer to the 2026 NFL Draft, we're working closely with VisitPITTSBURGH, the Steelers and all our partners on the ground to ensure local and visiting fans will enjoy an unforgettable event," the NFL's executive vice president of club business, league events and international, Peter O'Reilly, said in a statement. "We're excited to spotlight the city throughout our Draft festivities and show the world the passion and vibrancy of the Pittsburgh community."

"The 2026 NFL Draft is an opportunity to celebrate football and Pittsburgh's unique place in the history of the game," Steelers president Art Rooney II added, "while also promoting our region nationally and globally across the rare platform provided by the NFL Draft."

Derrick Henry had an epic 2024 season with the Baltimore Ravens, and he's already pumped to get the 2025 campaign going

Henry posted "run it back" on his Instagram Stories underneath a screenshot of general manager Eric DeCosta praising the veteran running back.

Derrick Henry: “RUN IT BACK”

📸: IG/last_king_2 pic.twitter.com/KyJ4gEoaPK

— Sarah Ellison (@sgellison) January 22, 2025

DeCosta also hinted that the Ravens would consider signing Henry to a contract extension:

"Derrick proved he had a lot left in the tank. We'll look at that... I'm so grateful Derrick chose us last year."

GM Eric DeCosta on RB Derrick Henry: pic.twitter.com/kOb9Fb1SB4

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) January 22, 2025

Asked about an extension for RB Derrick Henry, Ravens GM Eric DeCosta said, "we'll look at that."

Henry is signed through the 2025 season. DeCosta said he was happy that Henry chose to sign with Baltimore last offseason.

— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) January 22, 2025

The 31-year-old Henry proved to be the perfect fit for the Ravens, rushing 325 times for 1,921 yards and 16 touchdowns. Most running backs generally start to slow down in their early 30s—especially running backs who have logged 280 carries in five of the past six seasons like Henry, a significant workload—but he hasn't lost a step.

His long-term future remains to be seen, though he'll be in Baltimore for at least the 2025 season after signing a two-year, $16 million deal with the Ravens a year ago. By all accounts, the signing was a steal for the Baltimore, and sweetening that deal a bit for Henry would make a lot of sense.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson, a pending free agent, indicated that he and the organization have had preliminary conversations about him potentially returning next season.

"I think first of all, yes, we have been starting to talk a little bit, obviously, and we've had our meetings and everything else, and kind of just getting into it," he said Tuesday during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.

"Pittsburgh was a special place for me and I love it there..

Mike Tomlin motivates us and being around him was a gift..

There's so much leadership in that locker room and that's what makes it special" @DangeRussWilson #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/6i1xPeZ3S0

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 22, 2025

Love my teammates! Best days are ahead! https://t.co/TV8wIPERfF

— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) January 22, 2025

"Hopefully I get to play there a lot longer," Wilson added. "It's a special place because of the guys in the locker room, the traditions and the people and the winning. All of that, plus you've got Mike Tomlin who is arguably the best coach of all time, one of the top ones just because of who he is and how he motivates us. Even through the storm I think that we battled, and a lot of that was because of Coach Tomlin."

While Bill Belichick, Andy Reid, Don Shula, Vince Lombardi and others might like a word about that "best coach of all time" remark, there's no doubt that Tomlin remains one of the consistently excellent coaches in the sport. In 18 years leading the Steelers he's never had a losing season, leading Pittsburgh to one Super Bowl title and 12 playoff appearances.

One issue keeping the Steelers from getting over the hump since Ben Roethlisberger's retirement after the 2021 season, however, is the lack of an elite quarterback.

Wilson, 36, was steady for the team in 2024, throwing for 2,482 yards, 16 touchdowns and five interceptions in 11 games while completing 63.7 percent of his passes and taking 33 sacks. The Steelers were just 6-5 in his starts, and lost their lone playoff game, finishing the season with five straight losses.

Granted, those losses came against the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens (twice), Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals, all difficult opponents. Of that group, only Cincy missed the postseason, and just barely. It will be a concern, however, that Wilson went just 2-4 against playoff teams this season, while Justin Fields registered a 2-0 mark in such games.

Granted, Wilson was an upgrade in the passing game for the Steelers (Fields threw for five touchdowns and one interception in six starts, averaging just 184.3 passing yards per game). And Pittsburgh isn't going to be in a position to draft one of the top available options, though the team does have $43.4 million in cap space, meaning they could potentially enter the Sam Darnold sweepstakes if they so desired.

Retaining both Wilson and Fields would probably be the cheaper option, however, and allow them to retain some of their own free agents. Whether either player is capable of turning the Steelers from a playoff team to a true contender is the bigger question.

Reflecting on the ill-fated mid-season trade for wide receiver Diontae Johnson, Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta admitted that he wasn't surprised that things didn't work out.

DeCosta told reporters on Wednesday that he "knew it was 100 percent not a slam dunk" that acquiring Johnson from the Carolina Panthers on Oct. 29 would pay off in the long run.

DeCosta's instincts were correct, as Johnson appeared in just four games in Baltimore and recorded one catch for six yards before eventually being waived on Dec. 20. DeCosta was even forced to suspend him for one game after he refused to enter the team's Week 13 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Houston Texans claimed Johnson off waivers but then waived him less than a month later, giving the Ravens the chance to claim him. He didn't play another game for the team, and he will be a restricted free agent this offseason.

With Baltimore giving up just a 2025 fifth-round pick to Carolina, DeCosta added that he didn't see much downside to the trade thanks to the minimal compensation. Still, he was aware of the possibility of Johnson being unhappy in his role with the Ravens.

Baltimore's season came to an end in a heartbreaking 27-25 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Divisional Round, so DeCosta will surely be looking to make more effective deals this offseason as the team gears up to make another run in 2025.

After a stellar debut season with the Baltimore Ravens, Derrick Henry could be rewarded with a new contract.

General manager Eric DeCosta told reporters on Wednesday the team will "look" into extending Henry one year after he signed a two-year, $16 million contract last offseason.

"Derrick proved he had a lot left in the tank. We'll look at that... I'm so grateful Derrick chose us last year."

GM Eric DeCosta on RB Derrick Henry: pic.twitter.com/kOb9Fb1SB4

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) January 22, 2025

One reason for the Ravens to give Henry a new contract is to help the salary cap. They currently project to have just $3.2 million in effective cap space in 2025.

Henry's $12.9 million cap hit next season is the second-highest among all running backs. Jonathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts ($15.6 million) is the only player ahead of him.

It would also be financially beneficial for Henry to use his leverage coming off a terrific 2024 to get one more significant contract. His $7 million in cash earnings next season is seventh among running backs. Joe Mixon and D'Andre Swift are the two players directly above him on the list.

There was some concern about Henry's ability when he hit free agency last offseason. He put up good numbers in 2023 for the Tennessee Titans with 1,167 yards and 12 touchdowns, but he tied his career-low for fewest yards per attempt (4.2) and had the third-lowest success rate (46.1 percent) of his career.

It's safe to say those numbers were more a product of the environment Henry was playing in and the state of Tennessee's offensive line than any decline in his performance.

Henry had arguably the best season of his career with the Ravens in 2024. He tied for the NFL lead with 16 rushing touchdowns, ranked second with 1,921 rushing yards and set a new career-high with 5.9 yards per attempt at the age of 30. (He turned 31 on Jan. 4.)

The Ravens led the league with 187.6 rushing yards per game during the regular season. They won the AFC North with a 12-5 record, but their season ended on Sunday with a 27-25 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Divisional Round.

And then there was one.

HBO set out to chronicle the behind-the-scenes developments of four different teams at once this season with Hard Knocks: In Season With the AFC North, but only the Baltimore Ravens remained in the playoffs this past weekend.

Naturally, they took center stage in Tuesday's episode.

NFL fans tuning in surely knew the ending, as Baltimore lost to Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills in Sunday's AFC Divisional Round game. It fell just short in a 27-25 defeat that was largely defined by mistakes.

Postgame mic'd up between Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson 🤝

Greatness respects greatness. #HardKnocks pic.twitter.com/I6Hru2vVYp

— NFL (@NFL) January 22, 2025

This is what it’s all about! Lamar already has a Champion mentality. Always celebrate others until it’s your time. His time will come.

— Niners 24/7 (@Niners247) January 22, 2025

Fired up. Love the respect. They both deserved it. There’s always next year!

— Saul Goodman (@SaulRealGoodman) January 22, 2025

Great sportsmans ship by two awesome athletes. This is the way.

— ChairForceOne (@ForceChair) January 22, 2025

https://twitter.com/RNMachine/status/1881896314692415801

2 best players in the NFL so far this year 🫡

— DaTruthDT (@DaTruthDT) January 22, 2025

The biggest mistake was Mark Andrews' drop on a two-point conversion that would have tied the game in the final two minutes and potentially forced overtime. Yet it wasn't the only mistake, as Lamar Jackson lost a fumble and threw a pick, while Andrews also lost a fumble.

But Tuesday's episode wasn't only about the loss.

Baltimore also got to enjoy its Wild Card Round win over the rival Pittsburgh Steelers before the build up to the Divisional Round. That meant voting on the image that best encapsulated the win, and the team chose Isaiah Likely stiff-arming a Steelers defender to the ground.

0-0. Back to work.

Thanks for watching #HardKnocks! pic.twitter.com/u0sFTbkmnj

— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) January 22, 2025

It also provided HBO with a natural transition to Pittsburgh, where head coach Mike Tomlin provided an end-of-season speech that focused on using failure to motivate long-term success.

It was a brief sunset on the Steelers' campaign before the Ravens' preparation returned. And that preparation included making the indoor practice facility as cold as possible with fans and frozen air blowing in to better simulate conditions in Buffalo.

About to watch the Ravens lose to the Bills on #HardKnocks. #BillsMafia #RavensFlock

— aykay (@AykayBills) January 22, 2025

This Hard Knocks episode is difficult to watch. It is weird how much these guys can affect my mood.

— Mimi a journey of Synths and Sensibility (@mimidancer) January 22, 2025

I commend any Ravens fan watching Hard Knocks tonight. You are a stronger person than I am.

— Nick (@NICK_CARTER20) January 22, 2025

Yet the centerpiece of the episode was the quarterback battle between Jackson and Allen. After all, they are the two leading contenders for MVP, and Sunday's game represented the opportunity to reach the AFC Championship Game and earn another chance against the roadblock that has been standing in the way for both of them in Patrick Mahomes.

Jackson demonstrated his leadership in practice and repeatedly said how fired up he was for the contest. He even pushed to practice in the cold so he could be better prepared.

Lamar was pushing to practice in the cold.

New episode of #HardKnocks In Season with the AFC North airs tonight at 9pm ET on @StreamOnMax pic.twitter.com/3XPQ7S4AWW

— NFL (@NFL) January 21, 2025

Season finale 🙌🏾 #HardKnocks

— Ceez (@CEEZ____) January 22, 2025

End of hard knocks made me emotional lol

— aliciadawnnnnn (@aliciadawnnnnn) January 22, 2025

That episode of Hard Knocks was unbelievable

— Kalton Dincaid (@Jeffsteeleflex1) January 22, 2025

Still, it wasn't enough.

Buffalo forced the key turnovers and dropped Jackson's overall record in the playoffs to 3-5. The losses are certainly not all his fault, but this one was all the more painful because it prevented an AFC Championship Game rematch against the Chiefs and chance to reach the Super Bowl.

Perhaps the most striking moment of the entire episode and game itself was the sportsmanship between Allen and Jackson as they embraced after the game.

Unfortunately for Jackson, his next postgame embrace will be during the 2025 season.

Buffalo Bills fans managed to both slightly troll Baltimore Ravens' tight end Mark Andrews and support a great cause on his behalf in one fell swoop.

As of 11 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Bills' fans have already donated over $90,000 to the Breakthrough T1D charity, which is both pushing for a cure to Type 1 Diabetes and looks to support those afflicted with the disease. Andrews, who has Type 1 Diabetes, supports the charity.

Shout out to Bills Mafia for showing support to our guy Mark Andrews and donating to the @BreakthroughT1D organization, which works towards curing and improving the lives of those dealing with Type 1 diabetes. 💜https://t.co/tQfjchcmOx

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) January 22, 2025

The charitable donations come after Andrews had a rough game against the Bills in Sunday's Divisional Round matchup, dropping two passes—including what would have been a game-tying two-point conversion late in the fourth quarter—and losing a fumble in Baltimore's 27-25 loss.

You gotta catch that all day - Tony Romo pic.twitter.com/KrJbYtDCzf

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 20, 2025

THE BILLS (+100 ML) FORCE A FUMBLE WITH UNDER 10 MINUTES TO GO 😱pic.twitter.com/BwbKzpg55m

— br_betting (@br_betting) January 20, 2025

Head coach John Harbaugh was quick to defend his star tight end.

"There's nobody that has more heart, and cares more, and fights more than Mark. We wouldn't be here without Mark Andrews," he told reporters. "Mark will handle it fantastic, like he always does, because he's a high-character person, he's a tough person and he's a good person. I'm proud of him just like I am all the guys."

The Bills will now face Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game, hoping to finally get over that hump. And their fans prepped for the game with a charitable gesture, even if it was tinged with a touch of trolling.

A Cincinnati Bengals homecoming could be in the works for Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden.

Albert Breer of The MMQB reported Tuesday that the AFC North team is planning to interview Golden within the next 48 hours as it waits "for the dust to clear" following Notre Dame's loss to Ohio State in Monday's College Football Playoff national championship game.

Breer noted the Bengals also plan to hire him "if everything goes to plan."

Cincinnati needs a new defensive coordinator after firing Lou Anarumo following a disappointing 2024 campaign. The team missed the playoffs despite excellent seasons from quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase in large part because of a defense that finished 25th in the league in yards and points allowed per game.

Anarumo was the D.C. for the 2021 Bengals team that reached the Super Bowl, but the front office felt it was time for a change.

And that could mean bringing back a familiar face who was also on that Super Bowl staff.

Golden was the linebackers coach for Cincinnati for two seasons in 2020 and 2021. The team went from 4-11-1 in his first year to AFC champions in his second, and he could once again have the chance to lead a defensive turnaround after it missed the playoffs in 2024.

The defensive coach was on the Detroit Lions' staff for the four seasons prior to joining the Bengals, but he is best known for his time in the college game. Golden was the head coach of Temple for five seasons from 2005-10 and Miami for five seasons from 2011-15 and went 59-59 overall.

He was 32-25 with the Hurricanes but failed to win a single bowl game during his tenure.

Notre Dame hired him as its D.C. before the 2022 season, meaning he has been with Marcus Freeman for all three years of the latter's tenure as head coach. The Fighting Irish were one of the most impressive stories in college football this season and rallied from a stunning September loss to Northern Illinois to reach the CFP at 11-1.

They also defeated Indiana, Georgia and Penn State in the CFP before falling short against the Buckeyes in the national title game. Their defense was the strong suit of their team and finished fourth in the country in points allowed per game.

Cincinnati was surely impressed by the defensive effort from Notre Dame this past season and reportedly plans to bring him in to help fix its defense.