The Baltimore Ravens have certainly been in the news for a host of reasons since the NFL regular season ended, including missing the playoffs after a Week 18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The team decided to part ways with longtime head coach John Harbaugh, who has since agreed to become the next head coach of the New York Giants.
Shortly after that move, the Ravens officially named their next head coach, hiring Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. Minter, who previously spent time on Harbaugh’s staff in Baltimore, will take the reins in his first-ever head coaching role.
However, the future of quarterback Lamar Jackson — who has two years remaining on his contract — remains a major question. On Monday, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported a concerning possibility: Jackson might not be with the Ravens in 2026, which would be a significant shock.
“I don’t think it’s a given that Lamar Jackson is going to be back with the Ravens,” Florio said during an appearance on Yahoo Sports Daily. “We’ve been talking about this, we’ve been writing about this… I think there’s still a chance that Lamar Jackson decides it’s time for a fresh start for him too, and he’s got a ton of power in this situation. He’s got two years left under contract, there’s a no-tag clause in his deal, so he walks away two years from now as a free agent if he wants to.”
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Florio went into detail about how the Ravens’ hiring of Jesse Minter could factor into Jackson’s decision, noting that the quarterback has made no public comment on the team choosing a defensive-minded coach over an offensive one to replace Harbaugh.
“But I think we just need to see what his thoughts are about the Ravens not hiring an offensive specialist and instead going with a first-time head coach, defensive specialist, who Jackson knows because he was in Baltimore for three years,” Florio added. “But because Jackson doesn’t talk to anybody, he doesn’t have an agent to talk to the media… we don’t know what he’s thinking. So I don’t know that the offensive coordinator hire is going to be a big factor. I think the threshold question is what does he think about Jesse Minter. If he likes it, it should be fine. If he doesn’t, it may not be fine.”
Jackson was drafted by the Ravens in 2018, and while he has enjoyed considerable success — winning two MVP awards and multiple AFC North titles — he has yet to reach a Super Bowl in Baltimore.
Missing the playoffs this season, coupled with several injuries throughout the year, could lead him to believe that a departure might be the best decision. There would almost certainly be outside interest, with teams such as the Las Vegas Raiders and Miami Dolphins already rumored as potential suitors if he becomes available.
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