Logo

Ravens Elevate WR Hidden Gem to Active Roster After Steelers Offer to Steal Him

Baltimore, MD – 2025
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ urgent search for a George Pickens replacement nearly landed them a wide receiver from across the division. But the Baltimore Ravens weren’t about to let him slip away.

According to multiple reports, the Steelers expressed interest in signing Keith Kirkwood off Baltimore’s practice squad after Pickens’ season-ending injury. By league rules, Kirkwood could have been added directly to Pittsburgh’s 53-man roster if he accepted the offer.

Instead, the Ravens responded decisively—elevating Kirkwood to their own active roster on Tuesday. The move protects the 29-year-old and ensures he’ll remain in Baltimore for at least three weeks as he now secures a full roster spot.

Kirkwood’s career path has been anything but ordinary. Undrafted in the 2018 NFL Draft, he joined the New Orleans Saints as a free agent and quickly proved himself by scoring two touchdowns as a rookie. He later re-signed with the Carolina Panthers, where he continued to shuttle between the active roster and practice squad, seeing sporadic snaps but earning praise for his durability and professionalism. Over his career, he has appeared in 34 games, recording 24 receptions for 294 yards and 3 touchdowns. Off the field, Kirkwood is also known as a selfless teammate and a reliable option on special teams.

In the run-up to the 2025 season, Kirkwood drew interest from multiple teams, but he chose to sign with the Ravens for a bigger opportunity in the AFC North. In Baltimore, he practiced behind Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, and Nelson Agholor, wearing No. 18, while also taking on additional responsibilities on special teams.

Now, with the Steelers circling, the Ravens made the call to keep him in-house. For Kirkwood, it’s a chance to prove himself on the active roster; for the Ravens, it’s about protecting a trusted veteran and preventing a hated AFC North rival from poaching him at a moment of weakness.

Ravens Fire Zach Orr After Consecutive Mistakes Against Texans
Baltimore — October 6, 2025. With a 1–4 record through the first five weeks, the Baltimore Ravens stumble into their reset window searching for stability. A lone early-season win has been drowned out by a four-game losing streak, capped by a humiliating 10–41 defeat at home to the Houston Texans in Week 5 — a game that underscored the collapse of a unit once synonymous with pride. Baltimore entered Sunday already shorthanded with quarterback Lamar Jackson sidelined by injury, leaving the offense limited. But the afternoon quickly became defined not by who was missing under center, but by a defense that surrendered chunk play after chunk play. Over 500 yards conceded and six touchdowns allowed forced decisive action: the Ravens have fired defensive coordinator Zach Orr, ending a tenure that never reached the bar set by the franchise’s defensive tradition. “This is not an easy decision, but when breakdowns this catastrophic repeat and directly affect outcomes, I have a responsibility to make a change,” head coach John Harbaugh said, pointing to accountability as the team’s cornerstone despite early adversity. The move didn’t occur in a vacuum. From busted zone assignments to undisciplined run fits and a vanishing pass rush, the Ravens have repeatedly placed themselves behind the eight ball. What once felt like Baltimore’s backbone has instead become the most glaring liability. Since Orr’s elevation in 2024, the Ravens’ defense has steadily regressed. After five weeks of 2025, they’ve fallen toward the bottom of league metrics, far removed from the days when Baltimore’s defense carried its reputation. The Texans’ rout crystallized those trends — wide-open receivers in the secondary, missed tackles springing long runs, and an utter lack of resistance at the line of scrimmage. With that backdrop, the Week 6 preparation is framed as a “repair window.” Orr’s dismissal is paired with the interim promotion of defensive line coach Anthony Weaver, with an immediate mandate: tighten secondary communication, restore run-fit accountability, recalibrate blitz schemes, and extend scout-team periods to replicate divisional quarterbacks. Even with Jackson’s return expected in the coming weeks, the Ravens know offensive rhythm will mean little without a defense that can keep games competitive. This change isn’t just a reaction to one lopsided score — it’s a statement of intent to reestablish Baltimore’s standard, where defense defines games instead of dooming them.