Lamar Jackson Addresses Ravens Contract, Talks John Harbaugh's Firing, Jesse Minter's Arrival

Lamar Jackson addressed a wide range of topics on Wednesday, including his desire to remain with the Baltimore Ravens well into the future when he was pressed about the prospect of future contract talks.

Speaking to reporters, Jackson said he "absolutely" wants to remain in Baltimore after restructuring his contract in March:

Jackson also told reporters he was "shocked" when he first learned about the departure of John Harbaugh, who had coached him through his first eight seasons in the NFL.

"I've got a lot respect for Coach, so me just seeing that, I was shocked in a way," Jackson said.

Jackson added that he felt Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti "did what was best for the team."

He also said he messaged Harbaugh when he found out his former head coach would be taking over with the New York Giants.

"I hope Coach is having a great, great time in New York. Hats off to Coach, because he did so much for the city, for the team, for this organization. Hats off to him in New York," Jackson said. "He built a lot. He did a lot here."

Harbaugh is being succeeded in Baltimore by Minter, who spent four seasons as defensive coordinator under Harbaugh prior to his promotion to head coach.

When asked about his impression of Minter's new coaching staff, Jackson said: "It's different, new. I feel like everything is new right now, but it's cool. The atmosphere is smooth."

Jackson added: "New coach, new OC. Different new guys in positions, so everything is just new basically, besides upstairs. Coaching staff is new, and I have to say it's a breath of fresh air because everything is just new."

Minter, for his part, said Jackson has "done great" since joining the Ravens Tuesday for OTA workouts.

"He's been here a lot, and so it's not like it's the first time he's hearing some of these plays, but it's the first time to really be able to run them at some speed, with defense out there," Minter said. "Every play is a great advantage for him to keep getting better, to keep learning.

"I think he's really excited about where we're headed, what we're doing."

The Ravens will hope Minter's coordinator background can help guide a defense bolstered by the arrival of Trey Hendrickson, while new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle will be tasked with revamping the offense around Jackson and Derrick Henry as the franchise looks to bounce back from missing the playoffs last season.