Lamar Jackson gets honest on rumors of discontent with Ravens OC Todd Monken amid 2-5 start to season

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson addressed the rumors of internal frustration with offensive coordinator Todd Monken on Tuesday. Inside reports made it known that a host of players have grown confused with his play-calling amid an underwhelming 2-5 start.

Ahead of the Ravens’ Thursday night game against the Miami Dolphins, Jackson has come out in defense of the coach, who's in his third year with the franchise. His first two seasons in Baltimore have been record-breaking, making the quarterback believe the fault isn't on him.

“We've been winning all these games over the years with him,” Jackson said. “It's been about 3 years. The start of a slow season, I feel like everybody plays a part in their own way. You can't put that on one person.”

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In his first two seasons, Todd Monken generally adhered to the game plan outlined during weekly preparations. This year, however, the offensive coordinator has caught some players within the organization off guard by deviating from the script with unexpected play calls.

This approach has reportedly caused a rift with players, who rehearse specific plays all week and feel confident in their execution, only to see a different strategy employed during games. Nonetheless, Lamar Jackson believes everyone is to blame for the team’s collapse.

Lamar Jackson set to return to action against the Dolphins

Lamar Jackson will make a comeback from injury on Thursday night against the Miami Dolphins. The quarterback, who suffered a hamstring injury in Week 4 against the Kansas City Chiefs, is thrilled to be making a return to the field.

“Extremely excited,” Jackson said. “Can’t wait to touch the grass with my guys. It’s been a while.”

Jackson explained how provocative it was to get injured amid the team's struggles to get results. Projected as a Super Bowl contender, the Ravens have only won two games this season.

“It was very challenging,” Jackson said. “When I found out I had a hammy injury, I was told by the training staff how long I was going to be out. I just thought we got to do whatever we can as fast as we could to get back out there, and it’s here. It took a little time, but we’re here."

The Ravens will aim to capitalize on Lamar Jackson’s return and live up to preseason expectations in the next couple of weeks. The team returned to winning ways on Sunday with a 30-16 win over the Chicago Bears, and they'll aim to keep that up.

Edited by Farouk Yusuf