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John Harbaugh denied there’s any rift between him and Lamar Jackson.
The Ravens head coach told reporters that there are no problems in his relationship with Jackson after being asked about a report from the Baltimore Sun that said he had “become tired” with his star quarterback.
“Our relationship is A-plus,” Harbaugh said of Jackson on Wednesday. “… I love him. Always have, always will. And I know he’s fighting like crazy to get back.”
Baltimore Sun columnist Mike Preston dropped a bombshell piece on Tuesday, painting an ugly picture of Jackson’s actions on and off the field.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) warms up before the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images“The breakdown of an NFL player’s body is natural, but Jackson could help himself. He doesn’t need to be up late at night playing video games or falling asleep in team meetings,” Preston wrote. “He needs to train more around The Castle instead of only attending mandatory minicamps, where he disappears after one day.
“A major problem, a lot of it on the Ravens, is that there are team rules and then there are rules for Jackson. That’s why Baltimore practices in the heat of the afternoon instead of in the morning.”
Preston wrote that Harbaugh was reaching his limit with the two-time NFL MVP, and floated the idea of the team trading Jackson this offseason.
“It’s clear that coach John Harbaugh has become tired of Jackson, even though he builds him up after every game,” he wrote. “He has to, or Jackson will go into his own self-exile.”
Harbaugh categorically denied Preston’s claims.
Head coach John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens looks on during the fourth quarter against the New England Patriots at M&T Bank Stadium on December 21, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. Getty Images“I don’t know where that’s coming from,” Harbaugh said. “I’ve never seen that ever. That’s not something that I’ve ever witnessed and I’m in every meeting.”
Harbaugh and Jackson have been paired in Baltimore since the latter was drafted No. 32 overall in 2018.
Sitting at 7-8, and needing to win out and the Steelers to lose to the Browns on Sunday to win the division, the Ravens are at risk of missing the postseason for just the second time with Jackson as the full-time starter.
Jackson is currently dealing with a back contusion injury and is day-to-day Saturday’s game against the Packers after missing practice on Wednesday.
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