Jon Gruden, a familiar face to NFL fans, observed the Ravens' practices on Thursday and Friday as a guest of Head Coach John Harbaugh.
Harbaugh wanted Gruden to share his thoughts on the Ravens as a Super Bowl-winning head coach and former Monday Night Football analyst. Gruden and Harbaugh have a long relationship, and some of Baltimore's offensive coaches joined Harbaugh last year when he visited Gruden in Florida.
"He loves football, he's a great football coach, great football mind," Harbaugh said. "He studied our team, gave us some insight – players, coaches, schemes, all of it.
"We didn't give him the playbook, we didn't give him a script either. You can only go so far. He studied us. Basically, the message was, 'If I was game planning against you on defense, what would I do, how would I attack you?' He didn't just stop there. He watched our offensive guys. He had something for each player. Very, very detailed."
Harbaugh said Gruden wasn't shy about critiquing players face to face.
"He was letting them know where they could get better, which I respect," Harbaugh said. "I think a great coach is not afraid to tell people where they can improve. Doesn't every player want to know that? He has so much respect for guys, but still letting them know, 'Hey, this is what I see you can improve on.'"
Aaron Rodgers Joins Ravens-Steelers Rivalry as Pittsburgh's New Quarterback
Harbaugh was asked about Aaron Rodgers agreeing to terms with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday.
The Ravens will host the Steelers in Week 14 (Dec. 7) and visit Pittsburgh in Week 18 to conclude the regular season.
"I really don't have a reaction, just respect, respect for the Steelers, obviously. Respect for the team that they have, the coaches that they have," Harbaugh said. "The head coach, Coach [Mike] Tomlin. Obviously, I've always respected Aaron Rodgers. He's a Hall of Fame quarterback. We'll have to go against a Hall of Fame quarterback and one of the premier teams in the league, who happens to be our arch rival. We'll be preparing for that."
Keaton Mitchell Wants to Be Primary Kick Returner
Keaton Mitchell continued to look fully recovered from the serious knee injury suffered in 2023 that hampered him when he returned last season. Mitchell said he was timed at 22.2 miles per hour as a rookie and clocked a speed of 22.4 miles per hour just several weeks ago.
With doubts about his knee behind him, Mitchell said he hopes to contribute not only as a running back, but as Baltimore's primary kick returner.
"Oh yes, for sure," Mitchell said. "I'm definitely doing that, especially since if it's a touchback, it'll go to the 35 [-yard line], so I'm pretty sure teams will put it in play, and I want to be the one to return to kickoff returns and be like a Devin Hester, like a don't-kick-it-at-type of guy."
Mitchell averaged 31.2 yards on five kickoff returns as a rookie in 2023.
"It's like an outside zone play for a running back, so it is kind of natural," Mitchell said.
Attendance at Voluntary OTAs is Not the Total Offseason Measuring Stick
Harbaugh said he has not been using daily participation at voluntary OTAs as a measuring stick. The Ravens completed their sixth of 10 OTA practices on Friday, and veteran participation has generally been strong.
Harbaugh was asked specifically about Lamar Jackson attending just one of the voluntary OTAs so far.
"I'm not taking any position on it or judging it, or whatever," Harbaugh said. "Lamar, the day he was out here, played great. I could see he was in great shape, threw the ball great, made the right reads, knew the offense in an excellent kind of way. I thought he was fantastic.
"When he comes back and practices, when that happens, I expect him to play at that level. That's what you measure. You measure, for any player, how they play. I'm not measuring, really, the attendance. I mean it's a voluntary camp, so I'm not measuring that. I love being out here, and I think all the players do. And when Lamar's out here, I promise you, he loves being out here. You could see it when he was out here. He's my guy. I love him, and I can't wait to just get into this season and get going."
