John Harbaugh on Jesse Minter's Hiring, Parting Ways With Ravens, Not Getting Over Super Bowl Hump
Former Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh has nothing but respect and admiration for Jesse Minter, the man who has succeeded him in Baltimore.
Harbaugh, now the New York Giants' head coach, made the Baltimore sports media rounds on Wednesday, including an appearance on the "Ryan Ripken Show," where he revealed his thoughts on the Ravens hiring Minter.
"He's so ready. I really like the hire," Harbaugh said. "I just think I understand the hire. There's a lot of speculation: 'OK, what direction do they go?' And I was following it. I'm interested, of course. And they bring in Jesse. I'm like, 'OK, I get it.' Now you know the Ravens are still the Ravens in a lot of ways. And all the things that were built stand, probably, and I think Jesse will put his stamp on it, his personality. Everything he does, it'll be Jesse Minter running the show and he'll do a great job."
Minter spent four seasons (2017-2020) as a defensive assistant under Harbaugh, but their history together goes back much farther.
"I've known him since he was 10, 11 years old," Harbaugh said. "For three years, he followed me
around like every day. I feel like he was like [attached] to the hip. … I coached for his dad at Cincinnati and he was there every day.
"This kid, it's in his DNA. And not just that, but he's smart. He works hard. He's got great people skills."
Harbaugh was also interviewed on the "Bmore Sports Podcast" and WBAL Radio. Here are some highlights:
Receiving the call from Owner Steve Bisciotti and being told the team was parting ways with him: "It was tough. I mean, it hurts. It hits you hard, and you realize it's coming to an end. But I understood. Heck, I could see why he made the choice that he made. … So, you know, it's time to move on to the next thing. That's how life works. … I'm not saying I didn't want to stay, because I did. I love the players. I love everybody in that organization. I'll always be grateful for every player, every coach, every person on that staff, equipment, training staff, people on the marketing side. I mean, travel, all the people were just so awesome. Mostly the players and the coaches. I love those guys. So, I'll miss that. But you know what? Those relationships aren't going away either."
Hearing Bisciotti say that he would have still been the coach "for a week" if Tyler Loop had made the game-winning field goal to send the Ravens to the playoffs: "It's probably just a tough question to answer. Maybe we win the next game. You know, maybe we win all four games. Maybe win four games in a row. You know, that could have happened. … It really doesn't matter. What happened is what happened, and what needed to be done in the opinion of Steve, was what was done. So, it's cool. If we'd have won four games and won the Super Bowl after that, I'm pretty sure I'd still be there right now. I don't know. That'd be my guess. But it didn't happen that way, so it doesn't matter."
His relationship with General Manager Eric DeCosta: "I thank Eric DeCosta for what a great job he did every single day, for what a great friend he was, for what a great competitor he was, how smart he was, the decisions he made. I'm totally forever grateful. Anything else is much to do about nothing for sure. So that's how I feel about Eric. Love his family. [His wife] Lacie, the kids are amazing. Love his dogs. They're right next door. They play with my dog."
Not getting over the Super Bowl hump in recent years: "I know everybody looks at it like that, but I don't look at it like that, because I know how hard it is. … If we'd have gotten through the AFC Championship Game two years ago, would we have won the Super Bowl? Good chance we would have. If we'd have gotten through the divisional game in Buffalo, would we have won the Super Bowl? Yeah, good chance we would have. But we didn't because we didn't do what we had to do in that moment, the other team did. That's football. So, anything beyond that, it's not true, it's not real."
His relationship with Baltimore and Ravens fans: "I'm sure people say stuff. You know, 'Hey, the coach stinks.' I'm sure that gets said. They don't say it to me. I hear great things. And I get hugs, and texts, and phone calls. And I'll always love Baltimore, I'll always love Ravens fans. It's a big part of my life. It's a big part of my family's life. And I'm going to cherish it for the rest of my life."
Lamar Jackson Is Outside Top 10 in Final 2025 Quarterback Rankings
As a two-time MVP, Lamar Jackson has set an incredibly high standard for himself. He didn't reach that standard in 2025, which was reflected in NFL.com’s Nick Shook’s ranking of all 63 quarterbacks who started at least one game this past season.
Jackson came in at No. 11, landing in Tier 2 out of seven tiers. He finished No. 1 in the rankings in 2019, 2023, and 2024.
"Lamar Jackson wasn't himself for most of the 2025 season because of the injuries he suffered," Shook wrote. "His mobility disappeared for weeks, but once it returned, he reminded us why he's won the NFL MVP award twice."
Shook said Jackson's performance in the season finale against the Steelers is cause for optimism that he can return to form next season.
"His showing in Week 18 was scintillating and will remain burned in my memory for quite some time," Shook wrote. "As Isaiah Likely told 'NFL Daily' on Radio Row during Super Bowl week, Jackson had that look in his eye that night. Hopefully, he'll have it throughout 2026."
Jackson had good company in Tier 2, including the Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow (No. 10) and the Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes (No. 13).
Former MVP Quarterbacks Offer Insights on Jackson's Season
ESPN’s Jamison Hensley asked former MVP quarterbacks Matt Ryan, Rich Gannon, and Kurt Warner for their insights on Jackson's challenging season. Here are some excerpts:
How injuries and limited practice time affected Jackson's play:
Ryan: "Even coming back [from injury], I think what often gets discounted is you're available to play, but it's just hard to be sharp when you're not practicing and you're missing time during the week. And even when you are [practicing], you're laboring to get through it. So, I think that makes it a little bit more difficult."
Gannon: "Look, it's not just that he's missing practice time. It's the guys around him that are missing those opportunities with him. It's the red zone throws you're not getting. It's the two-minute shots. It's the third-down packages that you're not getting as many reps with."
How the Ravens' issues with pass protection hindered Jackson:
Gannon: "Nobody's immune, and it's not just the sacks. It's the hits, the hurries, the knockdowns. Eventually it can speed you up. I don't care how tough a guy you are, it can have an effect on your ability to sit in there and trust the protection."
On Jackson not running as much:
Warner: "The nature of some guys is just kind of like, 'I'm just reacting to what I see and I'm just playing. I think whatever I have to do, I'm just doing it. I'm not overthinking anything.' And maybe that is an aspect of where it's at now after the injury is maybe he is overthinking it a little bit, maybe he is like, 'I don't want to take off and run. I don't want to get hurt or I don't want to put myself in harm's way.'"
Ryan: "As you age, as you get older, you realize your availability and being able to go week in and week out is almost just as important as your ability to take off and go. So, I think finding that balance for the remainder of his career, that's going to be what they have to figure out. But I just don't think stripping him of that, because I think that I've often said, I thought when he is at his best, he's probably the most difficult player in the league to game plan for for defensive coordinators."
Why Jackson remains elite:
Gannon: "I think there's only a handful of quarterbacks in the NFL that have the ability to take over a game at this level or put a team on their shoulders and carry them to the finish line. I think of Josh Allen, I think of Patrick Mahomes, I think of Lamar Jackson. There's only a handful, and he's one of them."
Pundit Is Excited to See What Minter Can Do With Malaki Starks
NFL.com's Gennaro Filice ranked and graded every team's rookie class. The Ravens were No. 19 and received a "B-."
Filice said the Ravens' class could be viewed both optimistically and pessimistically.
"Glass half full: Malaki Starks looks like the exact kind of mature center fielder you'd want as the last line of defense, Teddye Buchanan is a tackling machine who already exceeded his Day 3 pedigree and Tyler Loop ranked in the top 10 in field goals made, with a respectable 88.2% hit rate.
"Glass half empty: Mike Green doesn't look like the true sack artist Baltimore needs, Buchanan tore his ACL in December and Loop missed a 44-yard field goal to lose a de facto AFC North title game against the rival Steelers, promptly ending the Ravens' season in Week 18."
Ultimately, Filice chose to be optimistic.
"Personally, I'm very excited to see what new Ravens Head Coach Jesse Minter can do with Starks, one of my favorite prospects in this entire draft class," Filice wrote. "Guess I'm a half-full guy."
