There is no rest for the wicked and wild and willing to do anything to get to the top in the AFC, where brand new Baltimore Ravens head coach Jesse Minter finds a battle waiting for him as he tries to put together his staff.
For Minter, one power move could very well be retaining defensive coordinator and former colleague Zach Orr … if the Los Angeles Chargers don’t get to him first.
“Chargers have requested Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr to interview for their vacant DC job, per source,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on Friday. “Orr spent the past two seasons in charge of Baltimore’s defense and previously worked alongside former Chargers DC Jesse Minter. Now that the Ravens have hired Minter as their head coach, LA is looking to Baltimore for its potential next DC.”
The Chargers have a vacancy at defensive coordinator because that’s the job Minter had before he was hired as head coach by the Ravens.
Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh — the younger brother of former Ravens head coach John Harbaugh — already made one big splash this offseason by hiring former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator.
Minter Might Want to Call Defense Himself
Minter, 42 years old, was a defensive assistant on John Harbaugh’s staff in Baltimore from 2017 to 2020 and spent the last 2 seasons as the defensive coordinator for Jim Harbaugh on the Chargers.
“Minter’s unit (in 2025) ranked ninth in points and fifth in yards,” Heavy.com’s James Dudko wrote. “The 2024 vintage graded first and 11th in those respective categories. “Those are numbers the Ravens haven’t seen since Mike Macdonald was calling plays for a swarming D’ back in 2023. Since then, what was long a team strength has gradually declined, with key players like young edge-rushers Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo, along with inside linebacker Trenton Simpson, not making the grade. Oweh revived his career once he was traded to the Chargers during the season, going on to log 7.5 sacks in 12 games under Minter’s tutelage”
The point is — Minter might not even need or want a defensive coordinator. It would be smart to hire one just to have the extra help on staff and have someone to blame if things go wrong, but it might just not be in the cards.
Ravens Might Not Even Want Orr Back
There was one school of thought that Orr was coaching for his job going into the 2025 season, and although the defense played really well down the stretch it’s hard to get around a 1-5 start to the regular season and missing the playoffs with as much talent as they have on the roster.
“Last year, the Baltimore Ravens won 12 games and the AFC North,” Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport wrote in July 2025. “But as good as they were in so many areas a season ago, the pass defense struggled and finished 26th in the NFL in passing yards allowed … simply demonstrating some ability to slow opposing passing offenses down should make the Ravens much more optimistic about their chances of a deep playoff run.”
AFC Playoff Team Makes Move on Ravens Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr