The Pittsburgh Steelers ended the 2025 regular season on a high note, defeating the rival Baltimore Ravens to secure the AFC North crown. The Ravens had Super Bowl aspirations but failed even to make the playoffs in a disappointing 2025 campaign. Now, like the Steelers, they have a new head coach. Ben Roethlisberger recently stated on his podcast that he thinks the Ravens’ Super Bowl window is closed. Former Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith fired back at Roethlisberger, though.
“Who cares what Ben Roethlisberger thinks?” Smith said recently on CBS News Baltimore. “He’s never gonna say anything positive. As long as you have Lamar Jackson, your window is there. It’s funny because he’s the same guy that people were saying that about in Pittsburgh, but he was in his 30s. Lamar Jackson is still in his 20s and is very much the best player in the league. I do like Ben Roethlisberger.
“However, seems like this is a guy that’s trying to pump up the sorry Steelers. They’re terrible. I don’t care who they have at quarterback… They have this false sense of reality that all of a sudden, Pittsburgh is going to change because Mike Tomlin was the problem. They’re gonna find out real quick that the roster is still trash.”
It’s fair to say that, as long as the Ravens have Jackson, they’ll be in the mix for a championship. He’s a two-time MVP, one of the best players in the league, and only 29 years old. Roethlisberger believes their team is falling apart, prompting his hot take. However, Jackson is a difference-maker enough that they could still be competitive.
Smith’s comments about the Steelers could be off base, though. The Steelers’ roster was good enough to sweep the Ravens and win the division last season, and it has only improved this offseason.
The Steelers added veterans such as Michael Pittman Jr., Rico Dowdle, Jaquan Brisker, and Jamel Dean. They also drafted 10 rookies, with Max Iheanachor and Germie Bernard looking like they could be impactful early on.
No matter how talented Jackson is, the Ravens have still struggled to beat the Steelers in his career. He’s only beaten them twice in the regular season as a starter. While he has also defeated the Steelers in the playoffs, they kept him from making the postseason last year.
The Steelers and Ravens will likely be competitive against each other, no matter how good or bad they look on paper. Neither team should underestimate the other. They have one of the NFL’s greatest rivalries, and they’re both usually battling for first place in the AFC North. Smith might not think much of the Steelers, but he could regret those words when the two teams face off.
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