Lamar Jackson, Monken's 'Chemistry Issues,' Ravens' 'Bickering' Detailed in Report

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson's rocky relationship with offensive coordinator Todd Monken and perceived in-fighting within the team reportedly contributed to the decision to fire head coach John Harbaugh this week.

According to ESPN's Jamison Hensley and Jeremy Fowler, Jackson and Monken had "chemistry issues," and Jackson didn't mesh well with Monken's "hard-driving coaching style."

A team source remarked, "The communication with Lamar and Todd wasn't as good as it was in that first year."

Another source said they saw "internal bickering" during the season, and some of the points of contention focused on the offensive play-calling, including a lack of targets for some players and the run-pass balance.

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Harbaugh hired Monken as the OC in 2023 after Monken won a pair of national championships in that role at Georgia.

The early returns were good, as Baltimore ranked sixth in total offense and fourth in scoring offense in 2023, and first in total offense and third in scoring offense in 2024.

On top of that, Jackson was named NFL MVP in 2023, and he finished second in the voting in 2024.

However, things didn't come so easily this season, as the Ravens dipped to 16th in total offense and 11th in scoring offense.

Part of that was undoubtedly due to the fact that Jackson missed four games due to injury, but even aside from that, some questionable decisions were made on offense at various points during the season.

Most notably, superstar running back Derrick Henry had five games with 12 or fewer carries, which is difficult to fathom given that he averaged 5.2 yards per carry and was second in the NFL with 1,595 rushing yards.

While Monken technically hasn't been dismissed yet, it is likely only a matter of time since the head coach who replaces Harbaugh will want to build his own staff.

As important as the head coaching hire will be for Baltimore, it can be argued that the OC hire will be equally significant since the Ravens need someone who can properly utilize Jackson, Henry and Co.