Ravens Star Has Mixed Emotional for Chiefs Banner Night

The Baltimore Ravens will watch one of their rivals raise their Super Bowl banner on opening night.

Dec 11, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey (44) looks on from the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Baltimore won 16-14. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports / charles leclaire-usa today sports

The Baltimore Ravens have the honor of kicking off the regular season as a whole when they visit the back-to-back champion Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night.

As a result, that means they'll be in the building to watch the Chiefs, the very same team that beat them in the AFC Championship Game, raise their Super Bowl 58 banner in front of the home crowd. It's standard for the defending champs to raise their banner on opening night, but it doesn't make the reminder of their own shortcomings any better for the Ravens.

On the other hand, it's a reminder of where Baltimore wants to be itself, at least that's what star cornerback Marlon Humphrey believes.

"I just think it's kind of cool," Humphrey told reporters. "Obviously, it's not cool for us, but it just shows who you're playing. You're playing the defending Super Bowl Champs, and that's a ceremony that you want to be a part of, but you want to be on the other side.

"So, for me, I just think it's a ... [For me] wanting that so bad, I think it will be bittersweet to go out there [when] they're celebrating their Super Bowl thing and hoping – fast forward a year later – you could be doing the same."

After all the festivities, Humphrey and the Ravens defense then have to defend Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs' explosive offense. Add in the raucus Kansas City crowd, and the Ravens will have their hands full to start the season.

However, it's a great litmus test for Baltimore to see where it's at compared to the class of the NFL.

"I would say, the mindset is kind of simple – just win; that's really kind of the biggest thing. Everybody wants to win Week 1, so we're doing everything we can to put things together to kind of go into this week with the best chance we've got and to hopefully get a victory."

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