The Baltimore Ravens made the most surprising change of the NFL coaching cycle when it was reported they were firing John Harbaugh after 18 seasons at the helm. Harbaugh had been incredibly successful in Baltimore, compiling a 180-113 record, and was 13-11 in the postseason. That included a victory in Super Bowl XLVII.
The Ravens came within a missed field goal of winning the AFC North and qualifying for the postseason, a spot that instead went to their division rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Ravens are often known, like the Steelers, for their stability, but are looking to make a change after Harbaugh’s exit. Recently, it was revealed that he was unwilling to make major changes to his coaching staff.
John Harbaugh Refused To Let Go of Todd Monken
Todd Monken was tabbed to help keep Lamar Jackson playing at an MVP level when Harbaugh hired him in February of 2023. Monken is a well-thought-of offensive mind, with his most recent massive success coming at the University of Georgia, where he coordinated two national championship offenses.
Monken was on staff when Lamar Jackson won his second MVP award in 2023 and helped guide the Ravens to the AFC Championship Game, where they ultimately fell short at home against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Jackson was the MVP runner-up in 2024, and the Ravens looked like a team that could challenge the Chiefs for AFC supremacy, but fell short again when Mark Andrews dropped what would have been a game-tying two-point conversion.
Baltimore had high hopes going into 2025, despite the disappointment of 2024. They did not meet expectations, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2021. During that season, Jackson was not the Ravens’ full-time starting quarterback due to an injury that hampered him throughout the year.
This season, however, the Ravens wanted John Harbaugh to make some changes, which he reportedly resisted. “It’s very clear that John Harbaugh wanted to keep Todd Monken,” Ravens insider Jeff Zrebiec said.
“Lamar Jackson, I think, and Todd Monken’s personalities, I don’t think, meshed very well at times. I think John was the buffer between the two for much of the year and much of the last couple of years. It’s not that they hated each other. The manner in which this kind of went down was a little shocking, and I know left some people in the building pretty disappointed.”
With Harbaugh out the door, the Ravens will now be looking for their fourth head coach in franchise history. Harbaugh is likely to be highly sought after, with reports coming already that he is the top target of the New York Giants, and likely other franchises as well.
Monken could garner some interest as an offensive coordinator or as a head coach. He has interviewed for jobs in the past, most notably finishing as a runner-up to Matt LaFleur for the Packers’ job in 2019.
