For Lamar Jackson, the 2026 season will be different. He still plays for the Baltimore Ravens, but this will be his first season without John Harbaugh as the head coach, who left the franchise after 18 seasons and a 2012 Super Bowl win.
After months apart, with Harbaugh now coaching the New York Giants, their relationship remains a topic of discussion, especially with new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle said to have built excellent chemistry with the quarterback.
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Last season, multiple reports said the relationship between Harbaugh and Jackson had deteriorated and the disappointing finish to the year resulted in a parting of ways. The Ravens hired Jesse Minter in his place, with Doyle responsible for running the offense.
On Monday, a report from Ian Rapoport stated that reaching Lamar is not easy, but Doyle is hitting the right notes.
“Lamar’s super talented. It is also a challenge reaching him, getting him engaged; it is something that [Todd] Monken did exceptionally well, but for a lot of coaches it can be an uphill battle. It certainly seems like Declan Doyle has climbed that mountain, has gotten an engaged Lamar Jackson.”
The report, however, created a few doubts. Some believed that the view on Lamar being a difficult player to handle emerged from Harbaugh, who couldn’t reach his quarterback as his message stalled.
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Former Ravens wide receiver Qadry Ismail, who played in Baltimore from 1999 to 2001 and was part of the Super Bowl 35 win, agreed with this view. He quoted the original tweet with a few symbols, indicating that he believes the original take was “100% on point”:
— QadryIsmail (@IamQadryIsmail) August 4, 2026
At the end of the season, former offensive coordinator Todd Monken disputed those reports, but he also admitted that he could’ve been closer to his quarterback.
“Lamar and I, to me, had a good relationship. Could it have been better? Of course. But Lamar and I never had an issue”, Monken said.
Harbaugh, on the other hand, praised Lamar’s ability after he left the Ravens. He also said that the duo had a “phenomenal relationship.”
“Phenomenal relationship with Lamar,” Harbaugh said in January in an interview with WFAN 660. “Everything has been absolutely positive. Ask him, he’ll tell you. We love each other. We tell each other we love each other. He’s one of my favorite human beings.”
Jackson won’t face Harbaugh in 2026, as the Ravens aren’t slated to play against the Giants. He will, however, meet Monken twice during the regular season: Monken is now the head coach of the Cleveland Browns, who play in the AFC North.
