OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Two NFL franchises, separated by 248 miles, defined by a bitter rivalry, each embracing fresh starts in 2026.

Combined, the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers have won 19 of the 25 AFC North Division championships since the turn of the century, and are ushering in new eras thanks to Mike McCarthy replacing Mike Tomlin after 19 seasons and Jesse Minter taking over for John Harbaugh after 18 seasons.

The Ravens and Steelers each added a Lombardi to their trophy cases under their former head coaches, and each now share renewed optimism that can only come with a new era and some strikingly similar DNA.

In Latrobe, second-round rookie Germie Bernard is quickly winning over all four of the Steelers’ quarterbacks, and inside the Under Armour Performance Center, Ravens third-round rookie Ja’Kobi Lane looks the part of the top of the depth-chart receiver, is gaining Lamar Jackson’s trust with every throw, and will now see an even more significant opportunity in the weeks ahead after Zay Flowers injured his quad Saturday.

Then, there’s the story of Ravens running backs coach Eddie Faulkner.

Faulkner was let go by the Steelers when Pittsburgh and Tomlin parted ways back in January.

Shortly thereafter, Faulkner interviewed with Minter and the Ravens to make the short move down to Baltimore.

The way Faulkner told the story Saturday afternoon, it was Tomlin who texted him immediately after the Zoom interview to inform him that he got the job, even before Minter was able to reach out moments later.

Shared DNA, one of the most physical rivalries in football, about to begin new chapters.

Baltimore and Pittsburgh were the first two stops on my training camp tour, and we go deep on both situations inside this column, as well as two strong takes on Jahmyr Gibbs, Jonathan Taylor, and Bijan Robinson obliterating the running back market last week, from a prominent agent and former general manager, and much more …

LATROBE, Pa. — The Pittsburgh Steelers’ wide receiver room is a crowded place.

There’s explosive big-play factory DK Metcalf, whose presence is as overwhelming for defensive backs deep in the red zone as it is on a nine-route down the sideline.

Then, this spring, Michael Pittman Jr. arrived, looking to shed his reputation as a possession receiver in hopes of getting in on the action in the vertical passing game.

On Friday, rookie wide receiver Germie Bernard got behind the defense as a play broke down, finding the soft spot in the corner of the end zone to haul in a wide-open touchdown.

In the midst of established stars at his position group, Bernard is already finding ways to contribute and build the trust of his quarterbacks.

Veteran cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. has been going up against Bernard all summer and is already seeing him make major strides.

“He’s a great player,” Samuel Jr. told Between The Hashmarks, after Friday’s practice. “He can be a great player in this league. I feel like if he keeps going, I feel like he’s going to contribute this year.”

Chosen in the second round of April’s NFL Draft, Bernard looks like a target magnet. But carving out a niche in a crowded room is nothing new for him.

The 6-foot-1 and 206-pound Las Vegas Native was forged in some of the most competitive college programs in the country, beginning his collegiate career in East Lansing at Michigan State, before transferring to the University of Washington and ultimately playing out his final two years in Tuscaloosa on one of the grandest stages of all.

“He has really good hands,” a rival scouting director who studied Bernard extensively before the draft, tells Between The Hashmarks, on the condition of anonymity to speak freely about a player on another team.

Last season at Alabama, Bernard pulled down 64 catches for 862 yards and seven touchdowns, showing flashes of a potential future No. 1 NFL receiver.

“He’s also a really good route runner,” the scouting director says. “A very instinctive player. His speed is solid, but his separation skills make him seem faster.”

That ability to create separation and find the soft spot of a secondary are already starting to shine through for Bernard.

“He has a really good feel in space,” Pittman said of Bernard Friday. “He’s also super shifty. For a guy who’s 200-plus pounds, I think he moves great. I think he has a great feel for space, sitting down in zones and he’s catching a lot of passes.”

It’s only been two weeks of training camp, but head coach Mike McCarthy hasn’t just been willing to send Bernard out there with the starters, but impressed by what he’s seen from the young pass catcher, so far.

“He’s done a good job,” McCarthy told reporters last week. “But he’s got a new challenge today. There’s going to be more things that go on down in the red area and that’s a hard balance, not only just for him, for all the guys, because it’s an at-the-line of scrimmage football game.

“It’s been like that for a good 15 years, 20 years or so. Ability to play fast, play clean at the line of scrimmage, stress the defense, signals … it’s a process. It’s always harder for the younger players.”

Young or not, Bernard is already displaying the instincts on the practice field that the scouting director saw on film, to find or create space, and the shiftiness to capitalize on it.

The oppressive heat of Latrobe and the upcoming preseason slate are historic launch pads for young receivers. If Friday was any indication, Bernard isn't just proving he belongs … he’s forcing his way into an already crowded rotation as a key weapon for Aaron Rodgers.

Owings Mills, Md. — Jesse Minter isn’t hesitating to rip off some scabs.

The first-year head coach inherits a roster believed by some front office executives around the league as being capable of winning a Super Bowl right now, and a locker room that just might have started to tune out the previous regime amid a wildly inconsistent and woefully disappointing 2025 season.

According to Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey, Minter is already setting a tone of mutual accountability between coaches and players, and running to the drama rather than away from it.

“Throughout the season,” Humphrey said following Saturday’s practice. “There will be drama. There will be stuff that happens. How quickly can you address it?

“The other day, we were in meetings, there were some old scars from different coverages, different positions, and he addressed it right there. Immediately.”

Even the meetings themselves have been different.

“Harbs obviously sat in on [position meetings], but Jesse will just get up there and run the whole meeting,” Humphrey explained. “It’s really cool. But, everyone’s on the same page and that’s good, as well.

“But, that’s different. It reminds me a little bit of Saban. Now, Saban sat in on all those meetings, but he let Kirby [Smart] run the meetings. But, yeah, Jesse will just run a meeting and it goes really smooth.”

Humphrey stood at the podium inside the indoor practice facility as rain pelted the metal roof above and thunder rolled, for 12 minutes and 25 seconds, reinforcing how quickly Minter addresses conflict head on rather than letting it fester.

Was the 30-year-old All-Pro lifting the curtain on what devolved under the previous staff? Or is this simply the honeymoon period for a staff and a roster that hasn’t hit or been hit by a team wearing a different colored jersey just yet?

Either way, it was obvious that since his arrival, Minter is overhauling the culture that took root here under Harbaugh that became as emblematic of Baltimore as the purple and black Raven logo itself.