While the Baltimore Ravens wasted several seasons of Lamar Jackson's prime trying to make it work with legendary coach John Harbaugh, they overlooked the fact that they had a truly unique coaching talent waiting to take over in then-defensive coordinator and current Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald.
The Ravens chose to keep Harbaugh for two more seasons after their 2023 disappointment, which led to the Seahawks jumping on a hot ticket item like Macdonald and naming him as the successor to Pete Carroll. After dominating the Patriots in the Super Bowl, that hire has proven to be an excellent one.
Macdonald has gone 24-10 in charge of the Seahawks, including a dominating run through the postseason that culminated in him hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. Ravens fans have to wonder if he could have done that in black and purple if circumstances were different regarding Harbaugh.
Baltimore had Macdonald waiting in the wings to take over from Harbaugh. With a roster that may not be as talented as the 2024 Ravens when Jackson was performing at an MVP pace, is it unreasonable to suggest that Macdonald could have broken through in the postseason?
Ravens should have gotten rid of John Harbaugh and hired Mike Macdonald in 2024
Macdonald was with the Ravens from 2024 until 2023, save for a one-year sabbatical as Michigan's defensive coordinator. Not only would he have been a perfect internal hire, but he could have retained offensive coordinator Todd Monken and kept Jackson performing at an MVP level.
Macdonald was able to replicate his Baltimore defense perfectly in Seattle, and possibly improved upon it. Rookie sensation Nick Emmanwori was his version of Kyle Hamilton, Ernest Jones looked like Roquan Smith, and Devon Witherspoon looked even better than Marlon Humphrey in his prime.
The fact that he was able to make Seattle's defense elite in 2025 and win games with Sam Darnold as his starting quarterback suggests that he could have been in for a similar ride as the main man in Baltimore. Instead, fans will never know what would have happened, as the Ravens were committed to Harbaugh for too long.
Former Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, whom Baltimore hired as the fourth coach in franchise history, now has a big burden on his shoulders. Not only does he need to win in the postseason more than Harbaugh did, but he also needs to show that he can match Macdonald.