The Rift Between John Harbaugh And Lamar Jackson That Led To The Coach's Firing

Lamar Jackson was never going to make this about him and John Harbaugh, but it ultimately turned out that way. John Harbaugh was never going to make a me-or-Lamar demand, but in some respects that's what it boiled down to.

(Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images)

No Locker Room Mutiny

So, here we are, Harbaugh is fired.

He is about to begin his search for a new job next week. And the Ravens are about to embark on a search to replace the Super Bowl winning coach who was fired Tuesday after 18 seasons.

The autopsy of Harbaugh's firing cannot be described in one paragraph or sound bite – although both the NFL Network and ESPN have tried to do exactly that.

The NFL Network boiled it down to Harbaugh losing the locker room. Not accurate.

ESPN boiled it down to "sometimes, it could be they just fell short the past few years."

Well, it's more than that. But much less than a full-on player revolt against Harbaugh. 

Harbaugh Resisted OC Change

The Ravens fell short in multiple previous seasons, including 2019 and 2023 when they owned the No. 1 seed entering the playoffs, and Harbaugh remained employed because it's not his fault when players fumble at the goal line or drop two-point conversions to tie a game. 

It's also not his fault when his kicker misses a 44-yard FG to send the team into the playoffs, in an NFL where many guys are routinely connecting on 50-yarders.

And multiple players were indeed unhappy Harbaugh was fired.

But multiple sources inside the Ravens locker room and outside the organization have told OutKick this decision to move on from Harbaugh seemed to them more about the franchise quarterback wanting a new direction for himself and the offense and the coach wanting to stick by his coaching staff, particularly offensive coordinator Todd Monken.

That put ownership in the middle until owner Steve Bisciotti ultimately sided against Harbaugh. 

Sep 25, 2016; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh (R) talks to team owner Steve Bisciotti (L) prior to their game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Ravens Ownership Sides With Jackson

One source told OutKick that Bisciotti wanted Harbaugh to fire Monken in the hope of finding someone who could unleash Jackson to be his old dynamic self again.

Harbaugh, so confident in Monken he is expected to try to lure him to his next stop if Monken doesn't land a head coaching job first, put the onus of making Jackson better on Jackson.

Harbaugh, seeing his starting quarterback struggle with hamstring, ankle, toe, knee and back issues that caused him to miss four games, pointed to Jackson needing to address his body more than think about Monken and the direction of the offense.

Monken's offense, by the way, was in place in 2024 when Jackson threw 41 touchdown passes and led the NFL with a 119.6 passer rating.

Jackson Didn't Endorse Harbaugh

But that Jackson was missing in 2025. His TD passes fell to 21. His interceptions climbed from four to seven despite throwing 172 fewer passes.

There was a clear difference of opinion between Harbaugh and Jackson – and by extension, ownership – about what needed to happen to make the quarterback great again. 

It should be noted that Jackson was asked if he wanted Harbaugh back in 2026 following the Ravens' season-ending loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night. He could not bring himself to openly endorse Harbaugh.

But this was more a gap than a fracture. 

Everyone who spoke with OutKick believes Harbaugh and Jackson will remain friendly moving forward and that is likely to include when their teams play against one another in the future. 

Bisciotti, however, ultimately saw the difference of opinion as a reason for a split. And he sided with his star quarterback over his star coach.

"Our goal has always been and will always be to win championships," Bisciotti said in his statement announcing the Harbaugh firing. "We strive to consistently perform at the highest level on the field and be a team and organization our fans take pride in."