Is John Harbaugh no longer the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens because of an issue with superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson? A rift with offensive coordinator Todd Monken? Was it as simple as it being time to end an 18-year marriage?
Baltimore’s offensive coordinator provided his honest perspective on the matter.
“Lamar and I, to me, had a good relationship. Could it have been better? Of course, [but] Lamar and I never had an issue. I don’t know where that comes from. I never saw Lamar and Coach Harbaugh not have a great relationship,” Monken said on the Ryan Ripken Show. “I never saw that. I never saw coach Harbaugh and any of our players not have a great relationship. Never, not one time, so any of that would be news to me, but I don’t know how people feel.”
Baltimore fired Harbaugh on Tuesday following an 8-9 season that saw the Ravens miss the playoffs for the first time in four years. It was a season sidetracked in Week 4 when Jackson suffered a hamstring injury that kept him out for three games and played a role in Baltimore beginning the year at 1-5. After going 7-3 in their ensuing 10 games, the Ravens lost a crushing Sunday night matchup against the AFC North-rival Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18, 26-24, in what was a win-or-go-home game.
Monken is in his third season as Baltimore’s offensive coordinator. In 2023, the Ravens were fourth in the NFL in points (28.4 per game) and sixth in total yards (370.4 per game). The following year (2024), they were first in total yards (424.9 per game) and third in points (30.5 per game).
This season, Baltimore finished 16th in total yards (332.2 per game) and 11th in points (24.9 per game), while Jackson, a two-time NFL MVP, completed 63.6% of his passes, the quarterback’s lowest mark since 2022.
The Ravens have been among the best offenses in the NFL under offensive coordinator Todd Monken. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Monken was previously the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Georgia Bulldogs from 2020-22 and part of back-to-back national titles in 2021 and 2022. He has also had one-year stints as the offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns (2019) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2018).
“You know what? I didn’t coach Lamar well enough,” Monkin conceded. “I didn’t have as good a relationship as I could’ve. I didn’t do the things we needed this year to win enough games to give ourselves a chance.”
As for what’s next, the Ravens have completed head-coaching interviews with Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, Broncos quarterbacks coach Davis Webb and Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.
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