Ravens Players Reportedly Initiated Removal of Ping Pong Table, More from Locker Room

There are conflicting reports as to whether players or coaches initiated the removal of games from the Baltimore Ravens locker room amid a 1-5 start to the 2025 NFL season.

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported Wednesday he had been "told the removal of the ping-pong tables and other games from the locker room initiated with veteran leaders on the team, not the coaching staff."

"Not a punishment. The players wanted them out," Garafolo wrote.

The Baltimore Sun's Brian Wacker, Josh Tolentino, Sam Cohn and Sam Jane reported Monday that a basketball hoop, ping pong table, cornhole boards and video game consoles had been removed after a Week 4 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

According to Wacker, Tolentino, Cohn and Jane, "multiple players told The Sun decision came from the coaching staff, who wanted to strip away distractions and have the team fully locked in amid its disappointing start."

Wacker, Tolentino, Cohn and Jane also reported that the games had been removed after punter Jordan Stout shared an Instagram story featuring star quarterback Lamar Jackson at one of the video game consoles two days before the Week 4 loss.

Jackson suffered a hamstring injury in that defeat, which has sidelined him for the Ravens' last two losses.

There is precedent for both coaches and players instigating the removal of recreational activities from the locker room in response to struggles on the field.

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has reportedly banned games including ping pong from his locker room multiple times, including after an 0-4 start to the 2020 season.

A similar initiative to remove ping pong from the locker room was later led by Miami Dolphins team captains after a two-game losing streak in 2022.

Whether or not Ravens players can play cornhole won't matter nearly as much this weekend as the injury status of Jackson, who returned to practice Wednesday for the first time since injuring his hamstring on Sept. 28.

The Ravens could be hoping to get him back into the lineup in time for Sunday's Week 8 matchup with Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears.

The Bears are riding a four-game win streak into Baltimore, but their defense also allowed Spencer Rattler to pass for 233 and two touchdowns (albeit with three interceptions) in the Raiders' Week 7 loss.

If Jackson is healthy enough to put pressure on Chicago's pass defense, the Ravens could get back in the win column and potentially one step closer to the return of recreational activities in the locker room.