In the wake of an entirely disappointing campaign for the Baltimore Ravens, John Harbaugh was fired following 18 seasons leading the franchise.
Upon Harbaugh's ousting there was plenty of rumbling that he and two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson weren't on the best of terms.
Not long after he was introduced as the newest head coach of the New York Giants, Harbaugh did his best to shoot down that narrative while heaping acclaim on his now-former QB.
"Phenomenal relationship with Lamar," Harbaugh said earlier this week in an interview with WFAN 660. "Everything has been absolutely positive. Ask him, he'll tell you. We love each other. We tell each other we love each other. He's one of my favorite human beings."
During Harbaugh and Jackson's salad days together, the Ravens offense was humming at a historical level. In 2019, the Jackson-led Baltimore offense racked up an NFL-record 3,296 rushing yards. Jackson rushed for 1,206 yards -- the greatest single-season total ever for a QB. It was the first of his two 1,000-yard rushing seasons, a feat unmatched by any other quarterback. It also marked his first MVP campaign.
In his second in 2024, Jackson had 41 touchdown passes.
Indeed, when Jackson's on, he's been an otherworldly talent producing gaudy numbers. That's what Harbaugh wishes people would remember most.
"We revolutionized offensive football with Lamar Jackson," he said. "I don't know why that doesn't get written about more. So let's talk about that more."
With narratives swirling this past season about Harbaugh and Jackson's relationship, the negative buzz reached its zenith upon the season's conclusion.
Jackson did little to dispel the notion after the Ravens' Week 18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers when he was asked if he wanted Harbaugh back and, rather than offer up a default "of course," said he wasn’t ready to talk about next season.
Days later, Harbaugh was ousted. However, former offensive coordinator Todd Monken did his best to dispel the theory of unrest and now, so too has Harbaugh.
Harbaugh's moving on with a new dual-threat quarterback in Jaxson Dart as he's aiming to lead the Giants back to prominence.
As for Jackson, he'll be tackling next season with the second head coach of his NFL career: Jesse Minter. Meanwhile, many will still be waiting for him to weigh in for the first time about how it all ended with Harbaugh.
