Late for Work: John Harbaugh Talks About His Role…

John Harbaugh Talks About His Role in Lamar Jackson’s Development

For the first time since 2017, former Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh’s starting quarterback won’t be Lamar Jackson.

During an interview with CBS Sports’ Aditi Kinkhabwala, the New York Giants head coach was asked about the role he played in helping Jackson develop into a two-time MVP and what he can take from that experience and apply to second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart.

“Way overrated what I had done, and there were a lot of coaches involved,” Harbaugh said. “The credit goes to Lamar. Lamar Jackson was going to be great no matter who his head coach was, no matter who his offensive coordinator was, because he was so determined, and so talented, and so tough, and so competitive, and everything else.”

Harbaugh said the main thing he imparted to Jackson was to be himself.

“The best version of yourself, the most disciplined version of yourself,” Harbaugh said. “Understand that you’re the quarterback and you’ve got to bring the whole team with you. It’s your offense. You’re responsible for the offense as much or more than anybody because you’re the guy running the show. And Lamar took that on his shoulders.”

Jackson Loves Having Trey Hendrickson As a Teammate Rather Than an Opponent

Jackson said that going against All-Pro outside linebacker Trey Hendrickson in practice every day is challenging, but it’s much better than facing the former Bengals star in games.

“Just to have him on our side and [not] have to face him twice a year, it’s extraordinary, and I’m loving it,” Jackson said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “I drop back [in practice], like a quick game footwork drop, he’s already in my face. He’s making things happen. He’s getting around the tackles, getting around the guards. He’s just a wreck.

“I’m glad he’s on our team. He’s gonna make the opposing teams’ life difficult on offense. He’s already making our life difficult on offense in training camp. It’s ridiculous. I love it, though.”

On a related note, CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan named one non-quarterback MVP candidate for each team, and Hendrickson was his pick for the Ravens.

“The Ravens defense was mediocre in 2025, and a big reason why Jesse Minter was hired as head coach was to help restore Baltimore’s reputation of having one of the toughest units in the league,” Sullivan wrote. “One thing Minter will specifically need to focus on is getting that sack number up, as the Ravens were tied for the third-fewest sacks (28) in the league in 2025. To do that, they added Trey Hendrickson by signing the former Bengals edge rusher to a four-year, $112 million deal.

“Baltimore is looking for Hendrickson to bounce back from an injury-plagued 2025 season, where he was limited to just seven games due to a hip injury. Hendrickson has the third-most sacks (74.5) in the NFL since 2020, and it wasn’t that long ago (2024) when he led the league with 17.5 sacks. If the Ravens get the 2024 version of Hendrickson, the defense will turn around overnight.”

Jackson Is Top 10 in All Seven of Dan Orlovsky’s Quarterback Trait Rankings

ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky ranked the top 10 quarterbacks for seven different traits. Jackson was the only quarterback to make the top 10 in every category, a testament to his all-around skills.

Unsurprisingly, Jackson was No. 1 in rushing ability.

“I can’t imagine many would argue for anyone over Jackson,” Orlovsky wrote. “His rushing numbers fell off last season, as he was limited to 67 carries for 349 yards and two ground touchdowns. But he still averaged 5.2 yards per carry, and he had reached at least 750 rushing yards in each of his past six seasons. Jackson’s running ability opens things up for Baltimore, whether it be on designed carries or scrambles. He still has elite-tier speed, vision and suddenness. New coordinator Declan Doyle’s system should capitalize on that more often.”

Injuries played a role in Jackson’s decrease in carries and rushing yards last season, but he has looked like himself this offseason. In fact, safety Kyle Hamilton said recently that he thinks Jackson has gotten faster.

Jackson’s ranking in the other traits were: No. 9  in arm strength; No. 8  in ball placement; No. 10 in mechanics; No. 7 in decision-making with the ball; No. 6  in pocket presence; and No. 8 in second-reaction ability.

Ja’Kobi Lane’s Debut Among Top Preseason Week 1 Storylines

Rookie wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane has generated a lot of buzz for his spectacular plays in practice. On Saturday, he’ll have his first opportunity to showcase his skills in a game when the Ravens host the Philadelphia Eagles in their preseason opener.

NFL.com’s Dan Parr included Lane’s debut among 10 things to watch in the first full slate of preseason games.

“[The Ravens] might have struck gold in the third round of this year’s draft. Lane, the 80th overall pick in April, has longtime Ravens scribes beaming like we’ve never seen before,” Parr wrote. “He’s become the star of training camp, easing concerns about whether Baltimore has enough complementary pieces around Zay Flowers at wide receiver.

“While there’s never been any doubt about Lane’s length and red-zone prowess, there were questions this spring about his ability to separate in the pros, especially against press coverage. It will be worth keeping an eye on how well he counters if the Eagles are physical with him on Saturday night.”

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