Prior to and following John Harbaugh's dismissal as Baltimore Ravens head coach, there were rumblings of disharmony between Harbaugh and two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson.
There were even murmurs that Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Monken weren't necessarily on the same page.
Monken says that wasn't the case at all, at least from what he witnessed.
"Lamar and I, to me, had a good relationship," Monken said on the Ryan Ripken Show. "Could it have been better? Of course. I never, Lamar and I, never had an issue. I don't know where that comes from. I never saw Lamar and coach Harbaugh not have a great relationship. I never saw that. I never saw coach Harbaugh and any of our players not have a great relationship. Never, not one time, so any of that would be news to me, but I don't know how people feel."
Harbaugh was fired Tuesday, after 18 years leading Baltimore and two days after a Sunday night loss to the rival Pittsburgh Steelers saw the Ravens fall short of making the playoffs to conclude a season that began with Super Bowl expectations.
Jackson battled injuries throughout Baltimore's trying 8-9 campaign, missing three games with a hamstring issue and another contest with a back bruise, along with a string of practices due to an assortment of injuries. Jackson finished the season with 2,549 passing yards and 21 touchdowns in 13 games. Both tallies were his lowest since a 12-game 2022 campaign. He also had just 349 rushing yards, a career low for the dual-threat dynamo.
Monken had been the Ravens' offensive coordinator for three seasons. Over the previous two seasons, the Ravens finished in the top six or higher in points and yards, with Jackson winning the 2023 MVP.
All things considered in 2025, Baltimore was still the 11th-ranked scoring offense. It wasn't good enough for a playoff spot or Harbaugh to retain his job, however.
Monken believes he could've done better by Jackson.
"You know what? I didn't coach Lamar well enough," he said. "I didn't have as good a relationship as I could've. I didn't do the things we needed this year to win enough games to give ourselves a chance"
The 59-year-old Monken, who was also the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2016-2018) and Cleveland Browns (2019) offensive coordinator, isn't soured by how it ended in Baltimore.
"It was a great three-year run. I have no complaints," he said.
Furthermore, he's hoping to use a bitter 2025 as a jumping-off point for wherever he lands next.
"I'm gonna fight like hell to fix it," Monkey said. "I'm gonna fight like hell for the next job I get and I'm going to root like hell for the Ravens."
