The Baltimore Ravens made the move that fans have desperately wanted over the past few years, firing Head Coach John Harbaugh after 18 years in charge. It came as a stunner to many, but in reality, both sides needed a change of scenery.
For Harbaugh, it was clear his leadership was losing value in 2025. For the Ravens, they’ve fallen short too many times with some of the best rosters in the NFL. Their 8-9 finish this year offered the perfect time to part ways with Harbaugh and get a new leader in the building.
This decision has become all the more crucial with quarterback Lamar Jackson just turning 29 years old. He remains one of the league’s most electrifying players, but the Ravens need a change if they want to capitalize on the two-time MVP’s prime and win a Super Bowl.
Unfortunately, there has been a ton of chatter in recent weeks regarding Jackson’s and Harbaugh’s relationship. While the two sides did their best to quiet the noise, Harbaugh’s firing only threw more gas those rumors.
On his 29th birthday, Jackson made sure to set the record straight.
Lamar Jackson shuts down John Harbaugh rumors
When you’re a high-status player like Jackson in a wild situation where your coach is fired, you’re going to have some people reading too far into things.
On Wednesday, Jackson posted a set of pictures from his eighth season in the NFL on Instagram. People quickly realized that none of the images included Harbaugh or many of the other members of Baltimore’s current coaching staff.
Lamar Jackson’s first IG post since John Harbaugh’s firing: “Yr8.”
— Jonas Shaffer (@jonas_shaffer) January 7, 2026
The 19-photo carousel is pretty much devoid of coaches, other than one obstructed shot of Tee Martin. https://t.co/9aFfouM3TY pic.twitter.com/W2mEboXRKA
Of course, fans were talking nonstop about the lack of Harbaugh in the comments. Jackson made sure to shut all of that down in the replies.
See response here (contains strong language).
His response should come as no shock. Throughout their entire tenure together, Jackson and Harbaugh have gone to bat for each other countless times. The media and fans have always been a factor and play a part in the public perception of the two’s relationship, but it’s obvious there’s no real bad blood there.
Sure, the lack of success in the postseason clearly played a role in the end of their partnership. It’s a business after all, and if the team isn’t competing at the highest level, something has to give. That something ultimately led to Harbaugh departing, and Baltimore’s front office will look for someone to maximize Jackson’s and the team’s success in the near future.