Report reveals if Lamar Jackson was behind Ravens' John Harbaugh, Todd Monken decisions

Shortly after Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti surprisingly fired head coach John Harbaugh, a report suggested that Harbaugh and then-offensive coordinator Todd Monken had "lost" Lamar Jackson and other Baltimore players.

Bisciotti insisted he had been told by Jackson that the quarterback had no problems with either Harbaugh or Monken. On Thursday, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic shared more information about conversations that took place behind the scenes leading up to Bisciotti's decision.

Lamar Jackson "mostly got along with" John Harbaugh, Todd Monken

"It’s not that Jackson and the previous coaching staff had poor relationships," Zrebiec wrote. "He, Harbaugh and ex-Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken mostly got along and won a lot of games — and set some records — together. Yet, last year’s wildly disappointing and, at least for Jackson, injury-plagued season proved challenging for all involved. Jackson and the coaches didn’t appear to be on the same page at times, particularly as it pertained to his injuries." 

Specifically, Jackson missed three games last season with a right hamstring injury and a fourth contest due to a "pretty significant" back bruise. As for the Ravens, they missed the playoffs after they fell to 8-9 when they suffered a Week 18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Meanwhile, one January report said that some members of the Ravens "viewed Monken as increasingly standoffish and unwilling to collaborate with players." That story added that Ravens sources "expressed frustration over Monken’s decisions throughout" the 2025 season. 

Days after that report went public, Monken admitted that his working relationship with Jackson could "have been better." However, Monken also said at that time that he and Jackson "never had an issue." 

Jackson sent Monken a congratulatory text after the Cleveland Browns hired Monken as their new head coach this past winter. 

Lamar Jackson simply needed "a reset"

"Coaches and players alike were frustrated, and some in the Ravens locker room felt change was necessary," Zrebiec continued. "As owner Steve Bisciotti was mulling the decision following the gutting Week 18 loss to rival Pittsburgh, Jackson told him he didn’t have a problem with Harbaugh or Monken. He remained neutral. However, Bisciotti decided change was needed, and getting a 'reset' and new voice for Jackson factored into the decision."

The Ravens made Jackson the 32nd overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, and he is now a two-time MVP. However, the fact that he accumulated a postseason record of 3-5 with zero Super Bowl appearances under Harbaugh made it understandable that Bisciotti wanted to go in a different direction. 

Jackson seems to be high on first-year head coach Jesse Minter and first-year offensive coordinator Declan Doyle heading into Baltimore's Week 1 game at the Indianapolis Colts. That's important, as there are millions of reasons to believe Jackson could leave the Ravens in 2027 if he decides he wants a fresh start next year.