Lamar Jackson Reveals He Was ‘Shocked' When Ravens Fired John Harbaugh

The Baltimore Ravens made the decision at the end of last season to fire longtime head coach John Harbaugh after 18 seasons with the organization.

The franchise has since turned the page toward the next generation of Ravens football, hiring defensive-minded Jesse Minter as the team's new head coach on Jan. 22 - a move quarterback Lamar Jackson appears to fully support.

However, Jackson, who reported to OTAs this week, admitted while speaking to reporters Wednesday that he was "shocked" when he learned the team had moved on from Harbaugh.

"Man, you know I got a lot of respect for coach and me just hearing that, man… I was shocked," Jackson said.

"I feel like Mr. Steve (Bisciotti, owner) did what was best for the team and I hope coach has a great, great time in New York, man. We did so much for the city, for the team, for this organization. Hats off to him."

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Not long after John Harbaugh was fired by the Baltimore Ravens, he quickly became one of the biggest names on the coaching market and eventually agreed to a deal to become the next head coach of the New York Giants.

Lamar Jackson mentioned Wednesday that he reached out to Harbaugh after hearing the news that he was heading to New York, seemingly expressing how happy he was for his former coach.

Harbaugh and Jackson spent eight seasons together with the Ravens, winning the AFC North multiple times, making several playoff appearances, and even reaching an AFC Championship Game.

However, the duo ultimately fell short of reaching a Super Bowl, and Baltimore eventually decided to move in a different direction after repeatedly struggling to get over the hump.

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This story was originally published May 27, 2026 at 6:37 PM.