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The Good: Respect and Rebound in Baltimore?
Todd Monken's stint with the Ravens ended when head coach John Harbaugh was let go after the team finished 8-9 in 2025. Now an NFL head coach for the first time with the Cleveland Browns, Monken reflected on his stint in Baltimore and on Lamar Jackson in an interview with The Baltimore Sun.
Regarding his relationship with Jackson, Monken called him a "tremendous person."
After Jackson sent him a congratulatory text for getting the Browns job, Monken said he thanked him for the three years they had together and told him he wouldn't have gotten the position without him.
"Then I said, 'go f- yourself,'" Monken said. "We are going to blitz you every third down. He laughed."
Jackson might be laughing a lot this year.
After the Baltimore Ravens wrapped up their minicamp earlier this month, Jackson expressed excitement over the future of the new offense under coordinator Declan Doyle, the former Bears assistant that new head coach Jesse Minter hired to replace Monken.
"I feel like there's going to be a lot of explosiveness this year," Jackson said. "The way Declan calls plays and his creativity with his mind -- how detailed he is -- it's mind-blowing."
Jackson is coming off a season in which he produced his first losing record as a starting quarterback (6-7) and the fewest total yards of his eight-year career (2,898). The Ravens missed the playoffs for the first time since 2021, and the Baltimore offense averaged its fewest yards since 2017 (332.2).
This offseason, Jackson has been at more voluntary workouts than in previous years because he wants to learn the new system and terminology.
He has also started bonding with Doyle, who at 30 is the league's youngest playcaller.
ESPN.com's Jamison Hensley reminded readers that Jackson has fared well when Baltimore has changed offensive coordinators. He won MVP in his first season with Greg Roman in 2019 and again in his first season with Monken in 2023.
Asked how Jackson looks in Doyle's new offense, Pro Bowl safety Kyle Hamilton indicated "like a two-time MVP."
You won't find me arguing against a bounce-back season for Jackson, something we can all agree would be a very good thing.