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The Baltimore Ravens have parted ways with defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale, according to an official statement from head coach John Harbaugh.
“We have had a great run on defense, and I am very proud of what has been accomplished and the work he has done,” reads the statement, which comes on the heels of the Ravens’ first losing season since 2015.
After offering more praise to Martindale’s contribution to the Ravens, Harbaugh’s statement cryptically continues, “Now it is time to pursue other opportunities. Sometimes the moment comes, and it’s the right time.” That language suggests that the Ravens didn’t fire Martindale due to poor performance, but instead wanted to move to a different defensive scheme under a new coordinator.
The move was called “a shocker” by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, as the Ravens defense has been extremely successful since Martindale took over as defensive coordinator in 2018. Baltimore finished among the NFL’s top-three scoring defenses from 2018 to 2020, allowing just 18.2 points per game during that span, per Pro Football Reference.
The Ravens defense fell apart to due a brutal stretch of injuries in 2021, with All-Pro cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters among the 12 Baltimore defenders who suffered season-ending injuries. Martindale’s unit surrendered the eighth-most yards but only the 14th-most points to opposing offenses, with the league’s third-best third-down conversion percentage.
Here is Harbaugh’s full statement:
“After several productive conversations, Don and I have agreed to move forward in separate directions. We have had a great run on defense, and I am very proud of what has been accomplished and the work he has done. Don has been a major contributor to the success of our defense since 2012, and especially since he became defensive coordinator four years ago. He has done a great job. Now it is time to pursue other opportunities. Sometimes the moment comes, and it’s the right time. I am personally grateful for our friendship and for everything he has done in Baltimore.”
Ravens Looking to Replace DC
The Ravens will now begin the search for a new defensive coordinator, though firing a successful, long-tenured coach with a year still remaining on his contract indicates that Baltimore may already have a few names in mind.
Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic wrote that the Ravens “have always filled their defensive coordinator opening from within,” mentioning defensive line coach Anthony Weaver and defensive pass game coordinator Chris Hewitt as potential replacements.
Whoever takes Martindale’s job will likely be asked to install a new defensive scheme in Baltimore, as Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson reported that “philosophical differences” led to the coaching change in Baltimore.
Martindale Likely To Find New Job
Martindale has frequently been mentioned as a head coaching candidate in the past two years, most recently by ex-Ravens quarterback Robert Griffin III.
Griffin urged the Jacksonville Jaguars to hire Martindale after Urban Meyer was fired in December, with ex-Ravens coach Joe Cullen already in place as the defensive coordinator.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Martindale “is expected to be one of the hottest assistant hires out there,” though he has “coveted a head coaching opportunity” in recent years, per Zrebiec.
Before his departure from the team, the Ravens had not received any requests from other teams to interview Martindale for coaching positions, but he is expected to garner plenty of interest now that he is a free agent.
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