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The Baltimore Ravens underperformed this season, missing the playoffs and firing longtime head coach John Harbaugh, with offensive coordinator Todd Monken taking the blame for the results.
Monken, 59, said he didn’t have as good a relationship with star quarterback Lamar Jackson as he could have.
“I didn’t coach Lamar well enough,” Monken said during a recent appearance on the “Ryan Ripken Show.” “I didn’t have as good a relationship as I could have. I didn’t do the things we needed to do this year to win enough games to give ourselves a chance. I believe that.”
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Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens, right, talks with offensive coordinator Todd Monken before a game against the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland on Oct. 1, 2023. (Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
The Ravens finished 8-9 and missed the playoffs in heartbreaking fashion. One of the reasons for their regression was that Monken’s unit also regressed. The Ravens scored 30.1 points per game. game in 2024, third in the NFL, but averaged 24.9 points per game. game in 2025, ranking 11th in the NFL.
While the offense still ranked at the top of the NFL, it was nearly a touchdown less than last season. Jackson missed four games with injuries while dealing with hamstring, back, ankle and toe issues, and Monken lamented that he couldn’t build on 2024’s success.
“I really wish Lamar had been healthy and seen what we kept building on,” Monken said, “where we went from ’23 to ’24 and then we just never got it going. That’s what you have to live with.”
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Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken before the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Dec. 1, 2024. (Mitch Stringer/Imagn Images)
After Harbaugh’s surprise firing, reports surfaced that Monken and Jackson had a strained relationship, which Monken disputed.
“Lamar and I, to me, had a good relationship,” Monken said. “Could it have been better? Of course. Lamar and I never had a problem.”
Monken said he never saw Harbaugh not have a good relationship with his players.
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Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken stands on the field before a game against the Chicago Bears at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Oct. 26, 2025. (Tommy Gilligan/Imagn Images)
“I’ve never seen Lamar and coach Harbaugh not have a good relationship. I’ve never seen that,” Monken said. “I’ve never seen coach Harbaugh and any of our players not have a good relationship. Never. Not once.”
Monken said the longtime head coach didn’t lose the locker room either, calling his former boss “the best at motivating and directing in keeping a team going in a certain direction.”
With Harbaugh out of town, it’s unlikely Monken will still challenge the Ravens next season.
