No quarterback in the NFL divides opinion quite like Lamar Jackson, but one of the game’s all-time greats is having none of the idea the two-time league MVP got Baltimore Ravens coaches fired and is the reason why the team hasn’t won enough big games.
Speaking on the ‘Fully Loaded Podcast,’ former eight-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Cris Carter pushed back on a statement from a listener that described Jackson as “the most overrated quarterback in NFL history.”
Carter started by simply stating to co-host Shawn Meaike, “that’s impossible, ’cause there’s some sorry quarterbacks that people thought were good.”
Next, Carter took aim at the notion Jackson “got three coaches fired,” including now former offensive coordinator Todd Monken and head coach John Harbaugh.
NFL Great Blames Coaching, Not Lamar Jackson
While Carter acknowledged “you expect more in the postseason” from Jackson, the member of the NFL’s 1990s All-Decade Team was clear “Jackson didn’t get them coaches fired in Baltimore. Monken didn’t have a good relationship with him, he said that. He didn’t have a good relationship with him, and that was Monken’s fault.”
Monken, now the head coach of the Ravens’ AFC North rivals the Cleveland Browns, has been frank about his experience with Jackson. The latter played some of his best football when Monken was calling the plays, and the 60-year-old has also rejected the idea there was any friction between Jackson and Harbaugh.
GettyJackson’s role in Harbaugh’s dismissal continues to divide opinion.
Carter took up the same point by declaring Jackson “definitely didn’t get Harbaugh fired. You know, he don’t play defense. He don’t play special teams there in Baltimore. He don’t control the offseason training because they had the number of injuries they’ve had there in Baltimore.”
Harbaugh has been subjected to criticism for the way he ran gruelling practices. Ironically, one of his biggest critics is Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers, who couldn’t escape Carter’s wrath.
The ex-Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings star pointed out Jackson “didn’t tell Zay Flowers to fumble that ball going into the end zone.”
As well as namedropping Flowers’ critical mistake against the Kansas City Chiefs from three seasons ago, Carter and Meaike also referenced the infamous drop by All-Pro tight end Mark Andrews against the Buffalo Bills in the 2024 playoffs.
Each of these mishaps can’t be pinned directly on Jackson, but there are other issues Baltimore’s QB1 must fix under a new coaching regime.
Ravens Need Fresh Start for Most Important Player
Jackson is getting used to being the brunt of criticism for everything wrong with the Ravens. Even a former division rival has fuelled the noise. The only way Jackson can avoid a regression and defy his critics is by winning a Super Bowl, and the only way that will happen is if the 29-year-old responds well to Harbaugh’s replacement Jesse Minter and Monken’s successor Declan Doyle.
Getting comfortable with the under-center concepts in the new play-caller’s scheme is Jackson’s priority this offseason. Doyle is already holding Jackson to account over his mastery of a different system.
Demanding a consistent standard of excellence from a four-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro is more than reasonable. It’s also fair for the Ravens to expect Jackson to mature as a vocal leader able to stay in command during the pressure situations of playoff football.
Fortunately, a decorated veteran has noticed the right kind of change in Jackson’s mindset entering a crucial phase of his career, when he’s under pressure to prove he deserves a market-altering new contract and that previous coaches were the Ravens’ biggest problem.
NFL Great Defends Lamar Jackson from Ravens Blame