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Head coach John Harbaugh looks on after losing to the Kansas City Chiefs 37-20 at Arrowhead Stadium.
A tough decision had to be made when the Baltimore Ravens moved on from head coach John Harbaugh after 18 seasons.
As the 2025 NFL season concluded, there were reports that John Harbaugh and Lamar Jackson were not on the same page. After a tough loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18, there were reports dysfunction within the Baltimore Ravens organization.
“After the stunning firing of Harbaugh, multiple stories emerged about dysfunction within the franchise during the 2025 season, including star quarterback Lamar Jackson having issues not only with his offensive coordinator, Todd Monken, but also with Harbaugh.” Anthony Miller wrote in a Sports Illustrated article.
Harbaugh Had Good Things to Say About Lamar Jackson
During an appearance on the Ryan Ripken Show, Harbaugh had good things to say about his former quarterback.
“I’m proud of Lamar, proud of what we accomplished together, proud of the quarterback he’s become and what he’s done. We were so close, we were right there and couldn’t quite get it done. Let’s get the next evolution of Lamar and see what can be done.” Harbaugh said.
The Baltimore Ravens finished 8-9 during the 2025 season. The Ravens came into the season with massive Super Bowl expectations. As a result, the team faced much adversity during the regular season leading them to miss the playoffs.
Jackson and Harbaugh have had opportunities to bring Baltimore another Super Bowl, but they have failed to get over the hump.
John Harbaugh’s Recent Success With the Baltimore Ravens
Harbaugh and Jackson have seen some success while working together in Baltimore.
“Harbaugh and Jackson have done a lot of winning since Jackson jumped into the lineup for the first time in his rookie season back in 2018. Jackson has gone 76-31 in the regular season as the starter, winning 71% of his career starts.” Miller wrote.
“In fact, Jackson elevated the offense to heights that never been reached under Harbaugh as the head coach. This is a Ravens team that was consistently in the top five in rushing, and in later years, Jackson elevated his passing to make Baltimore one of the best passing attacks in the NFL.”
Lamar Jackson has had two MVP seasons with John Harbaugh as his head coach both in 2019 and 2023. In Jackson’s 2019 unanimous MVP campaign, he threw for 3,127 yards with 36 touchdowns and only 6 interceptions. The Baltimore Ravens earned the #1 seed in the AFC . They would then lose to the Tennessee Titans in the 2019 divisional round of the NFL playoffs.
In 2023, Lamar Jackson won his second MVP under coach John Harbaugh. The Ravens earned another #1 seed in the AFC earning a first-round bye. In the same year, the Baltimore Ravens lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship. Lamar Jackson is 3-5 in his playoff starts.
“Harbaugh was the perfect coach for Jackson to grow in the NFL and evolve into the two-time MVP he has become. With new head coach Jesse Minter in the picture now, his job will be to take Jackson to the next level, which is winning a Super Bowl for the Ravens.” Miller wrote.
“Jackson and the Ravens fan base will always appreciate what Harbaugh did for the franchise, but a new voice is needed to lead them into the new era of Baltimore football.”
DeonTay Smith is a journalist who covers the NFL for Heavy.com with a focus on the Cincinnati Bengals, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, and the Baltimore Ravens. A graduate from Methodist University, Smith also covers local news for the Panama City News Herald and hosts his own YouTube podcast. More about DeonTay Smith
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