OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — As another set of contract talks drags on, Lamar Jackson says his heart is in Baltimore.
“I love the Ravens. I love this organization. I love this city. This is the team that drafted me, so (this city has) a lot of love for me — I believe — and I have a lot of love for the city and this team, as well,” Jackson said. "The restructure is done, and I’m cool with that, but I love Baltimore. Everybody should know that by now.”
Wednesday was the first time Jackson has been available to local reporters in a while, and there was a lot to catch up on: Coach John Harbaugh was fired after last season and replaced by former Ravens assistant Jesse Minter. Baltimore also made no secret of the fact that it was hoping to reach a new deal with Jackson before the start of free agency, but that came and went with only a restructure that freed up cap space. The two-time MVP quarterback has just two seasons left on the five-year deal he signed before the 2023 season.
There was plenty of drama that offseason, when the Ravens used the franchise tag on Jackson and he even requested a trade before eventually coming back. On Wednesday he was upbeat and, as usual, didn't want to discuss the specifics of recent negotiations.
“I was thinking about how I was going to respond to this question if I got it, but I’m going to give you the same answer I always give,” Jackson said. "I just want to keep those conversations private. We restructured the deal, and that’s what we have right now.”
As for the coaching change, Jackson said he reached out to Harbaugh after he took over the New York Giants. He said he was “shocked” by Harbaugh's firing but trusts owner Steve Bisciotti's judgment.
“I felt like Mr. Steve did what was best for the team, and I hope Coach Harbaugh has a great time in New York, man,” Jackson said. "Hats off to Coach Harbaugh because he did so much for the city, for the team and for this organization. So, hats off to him in New York. We built a lot. We did a lot here.”
One of Jackson's early takeaways about Minter is that he always seems to have a smile on his face.
“Everything is just new basically, besides (the personnel staff) upstairs,” Jackson said. “But, the coaching staff is just new, and I can say it’s a breath of fresh air because everything is just new.”
Minter arrived with a defensive background, having been a coordinator on that side of the ball for the Los Angeles Chargers the past two seasons. So the new offensive coordinator, Declan Doyle, will be crucial as the Ravens try to unleash Jackson's considerable talent after he struggled through an injury-riddled 2025.
At 30, Doyle is only a year older than Jackson.
“Yes. I already know. I already know," Jackson said. “But his title is ‘coach,’ so I’m going to still call him ‘coach.’”
NOTES: Minter said DL Nnamdi Madubuike, who missed most of last season because of a neck injury, is doing some parts of the team's offseason program. “I’ll probably, again, leave that up to him of when it’s really to the point where he may be out there, but he’s definitely getting a lot of work in,” Minter said. “He’s trending in a great direction, I would say.”
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Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) works out during the team's NFL football practice, Wednesday, May 27, 2026, at the Under Armour Performance Center in Owings Mills, Md. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) speaks during a press conference after the team's NFL football practice, Wednesday, May 27, 2026, at the Under Armour Performance Center in Owings Mills, Md. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) speaks during a press conference after the team's NFL football practice, Wednesday, May 27, 2026, at the Under Armour Performance Center in Owings Mills, Md. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
