Late for Work: Ian Rapoport Discusses Possible…
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Ian Rapoport Discusses Timeline for Lamar Jackson Contract Extension
Will the Ravens and quarterback Lamar Jackson reach an agreement on a contract extension before the start of the regular season in four weeks?
NFL Network and ESPN insider Ian Rapoport discussed where things stand during an appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show.” Rapoport reiterated that the Ravens are eager to extend the two-time MVP, but whether a deal is imminent is unclear.
“I’m not saying nothing’s going to get done before the season, but this isn’t a question of do the Ravens want to pay him and make him the highest paid quarterback in the NFL. Like, duh,” Rapoport said. “… Doesn’t mean a deal is going to get done, but at least there is the want to in Baltimore.”
That there’s nothing new to report regarding how the talks are progressing isn’t surprising considering the Ravens and Jackson are committed to keeping negotiations private.
There’s no disputing how Jackson feels about new Head Coach Jesse Minter and Offensive Coordinator Declan Doyle.
“Sounds like his camp has been unbelievable. Full buy in,” Rapoport said. “Which I said somewhere and people are like, ‘Oh, well, you’re saying he wasn’t bought in before.’ It’s like, just because you compliment one thing doesn’t mean you’re ripping another thing. It’s not like Lamar was sitting in the back of meetings with his feet up. It’s just sometimes change is necessary, and sounds like he’s been really engaged with this new coaching staff, especially Jesse Minter. I think that relationship is going really well.”
Minter Aces First Game As Head Coach
After the Ravens’ dominant 24-7 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in their preseason opener Saturday night at M&T Bank Stadium, Minter said his first game as an NFL head coach was a “great experience” and praised his coaching staff for having the players “really ready to play.”
Here’s a look at what pundits said about Minter’s debut:
The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec: “Minter wasn’t necessarily worried about the final score. What he really wanted Saturday night was for the Ravens to play clean football and embrace a certain style. The Ravens did that, committing only three penalties for 25 yards (the Eagles had 10 for 96), limiting their mistakes and controlling the line of scrimmage. Offensively, things went smoothly before the snap, and the quarterbacks mostly had time to make plays downfield. Defensively, the Ravens flew around and tackled well, knocked out the run game and put a lid on the Eagles’ big plays. As far as debuts, this one went about as well as Minter could have hoped, minus two turnovers and a missed field goal.”
Press Box’s Anthony Barbera: “Minter couldn’t have asked for a better start in his first game as a head coach. The Ravens forced four straight three-and-outs defensively to start the game. They allowed 81 yards and no points in the first half. Then, the offense ran a near-perfect two-minute drill to end the half until quarterback Joe Fagnano threw an ill-advised pass across his body for an interception on first down from the 5-yard line with 34 seconds left. The defensive dominance continued in the second half.”
Baltimore Positive’s Luke Jones: “Considering 25 notable players sat, making too much of the result would be silly. However, backups and rookies looking like such a well-coached team was quite the compliment to Minter and the staff in their debut. Baltimore committed just three penalties while allowing six first downs and zero third-down conversions.”
Two Ravens Rookies Earn ‘A’ Grades in NFL Debuts
The Ravens’ rookie class made a strong showing in its NFL debut.
The Baltimore Sun’s Josh Tolentino graded the performances of eight of the rookies. Here’s a look at three of the highest-graded:
G Vega Ioane (Round 1, No. 14 pick)
“You couldn’t have asked for a much better start from the Ravens’ top draft pick. Ioane mauled Eagles outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie on a clearout block during a scramble by Tyler Huntley and repeatedly handled defensive tackle Ty Robinson, a 2025 fourth-round draft pick. More importantly, Ioane looked comfortable doing it.
“After starring at left guard throughout his college career at Penn State, Ioane is expected to start immediately at right guard for Baltimore. Tucked between center Danny Pinter and right tackle Gerad Lichtenhan, Ioane played the first two offensive series before giving way to Emery Jones Jr. I’ve seen enough. Keep Ioane healthy and save him for the regular-season opener at Indianapolis. Grade: A.”
WR Ja’Kobi Lane (Round 3, No. 80)
“Welcome to the NFL, Mr. Lane. One of the stars of training camp brought his summer highlight reel with him to M&T Bank Stadium. Lane adjusted to a pass from Tyler Huntley thrown behind him for a 19-yard reception on third down, then capped his debut with an impressive 16-yard touchdown catch.
Lane has already established himself as a dangerous jump-ball target, but this score came over the middle. That’s encouraging. Just imagine when Lamar Jackson is under center. Offensive Coordinator Declan Doyle is discovering that there might be even more to the 6-foot-4 receiver’s game. Grade: A.”
TE Matt Hibner (Round 4, No. 133)
“Hibner put together one of the most productive performances of the night. Huntley found the former SMU tight end up the left sideline on a wheel route for 29 yards, then connected with him again underneath on a drag route. Hibner caught all five of his targets for 61 yards. He was up-and-down as a blocker, which brings down his overall grade a bit. At the very least, catching everything thrown his way is a pretty solid place to start. Grade: B+.”
Two Players Whose Stock Is Up Entering Week 4 of Training Camp
With the Ravens’ preseason opener behind them, The Baltimore Sun’s Brian Wacker looked at whose stocking is rising and whose is falling heading into Week 4 of training camp.
Here are two players who are trending up:
WR Elijah Sarratt
“A hamstring injury from the spring seemed to slow Sarratt’s progress at the start of training camp. He has come on lately, however, and the best example of that progress came under the lights against the Eagles. His six catches for 66 yards paced Baltimore and, more importantly, he showed an ability to hang onto the football in tight coverage. His only hiccup was a fumble while fighting for extra yards, but that seems more like an outlier than the norm. Like Lane, Sarratt doesn’t separate easily or knock defenders off him, but he is showing an ability to get open enough to make plays despite those limitations.”
CB Keyon Martin
“Despite leading the way with four tackles against the Eagles, the second-year former undrafted free agent said afterward that he feels like he’s always going to have to play his way onto the roster. Given his lack of size and a crowded cornerback room, it’s understandable. But Martin just continues to be all over the field, is like a ‘gnat’ on defense, as Jackson put it, and is a valuable special teamer. It’s no wonder he was Baltimore’s highest-graded defender, per Pro Football Focus, against the Eagles.”
Minter Predicted to Be This Season’s Winningest New Head Coach
NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks ranked the league’s 10 new head coaches based on who he thinks will win the most games this season, and the Ravens’ head coach was No. 1.
“The defensive wizard inherits a Super Bowl-caliber roster with a two-time MVP at quarterback and a D loaded with impact players,” Brooks wrote. “Minter’s play-calling mastery and familiarity with the franchise make it easy to envision the Ravens getting off to a fast start under his direction.
“Under Minter, Baltimore’s defense aims to transition to an aggressive scheme that features exotic pressures and bulletproof coverage, limiting explosive plays while creating chaos at the line of scrimmage. If the offense can help Lamar Jackson regain his superpowers as a dual-threat playmaker after an injury-plagued 2025 campaign, the Ravens could bully their way to the top of the AFC by season’s end.”
The Buffalo Bills’ Joe Brady was No. 2 in the rankings. Former Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh, now leading the New York Giants, was No. 3. Former Ravens Offensive Coordinator and Cleveland Browns Head Coach Todd Monken was No. 8.
Ravens Crack Top 10 in ESPN’s Future Power Rankings
The Ravens are among the Super Bowl favorites this season, but are they built to contend beyond 2025?
In ESPN’s future power rankings, analysts Louis Riddick, Aaron Schatz, Ben Solak and Seth Walder projected how well each team is set up for success from 2027-2029 by grading their quarterback situation, remaining (non-QB) roster makeup, front office, and coaching staff on a scale from 1-100. The categories were weighted as follows to create an overall score: quarterback (20%), roster (30%), front office (25%), and coaching (25%).
The Ravens landed at No. 9 and received a ‘B’ grade with an overall score of 83.7 on a scale from 1 to 100.
“The Ravens haven’t signed Lamar Jackson to an extension just yet, but it’s fair to assume that the two-time MVP will remain a Raven and keep the team in a yearly contention conversation,” Solak wrote. “And the infusion of new coach Jesse Minter could be just what Baltimore needs to get over the Lombardi hump.”
Here’s look at how the Ravens were graded in each category:
- Quarterback: 93.5 (No. 4)
- Overall roster (excluding QB): 78 (No. 13)
- Front office: 85.25 (No. 3)
- Coaching: (81.25 (No. 17)
No team received a grade above a ‘B.’ The Seattle Seahawks were ranked No. 1 with an overall score of 88.7.
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