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When new Ravens coach Jesse Minter declared last Thursday that he was going to call the defense, he unintentionally limited the type of talent that was available at defensive coordinator. The proven coaches like Cleveland’s Jim Schwartz were going to be unavailable because they wanted to put their signatures on the defense. The same can be said for former Ravens safety Jim Leonhard, who became the Buffalo Bills’ defensive coordinator. Leonhard had previously served as the Denver Broncos assistant head coach/defensive pass game coordinator. So, basically, the Ravens were either going to hire a young assistant to absorb everything possible from Minter before potentially becoming a head coach, or select an older coach who no longer had head coaching ambitions. On Monday, the Ravens hired Anthony Weaver as their new defensive coordinator, who can be best described as a “tweener.” The 45-year-old assistant isn’t as young as Minter, 42, but isn’t quite as old as Joe Cullen, 58, the Kansas City Chiefs defensive line coach who was one of the favorites to take the job here. “So grateful to coach Minter, [Ravens general manager] Eric DeCosta and [owner] Mr. [Steve] Bisciotti for this incredible opportunity,” Weaver said. “Baltimore holds a special place in my heart. I can’t wait to get to work and give the Flock a reason to Rock.” It’s an intriguing matchup, this Minter and Weaver combination. Usually, coordinators are allowed to select one or two position coaches, and it’s not known if Weaver will have that opportunity, but he will be more than just a “yes man.” That’s not his style. Weaver is his own man, and he showed that during his four seasons playing with the Ravens as a second-round selection out of Notre Dame in 2002. When the Ravens lost, a lot of the media went to Weaver because he was logical and precise. More importantly, he understands the defensive work ethic here in Baltimore having played for the Ravens until he signed as a free agent with Houston in 2006. In those days, the Ravens also had one of the better run defenses in the NFL anchored by Weaver, nose guard Kelly Gregg, middle linebackers Ray Lewis, Bart Scott and outside linebackers such as Adalius Thomas, Peter Boulware, Cornell Brown and Jarret Johnson. With that group, everyone had to hold their own and be held accountable, a word that is missing in the Ravens’ locker room. It is interesting, though, that Weaver returns to Baltimore because he was passed over twice for defensive coordinator jobs. Former Ravens coach John Harbaugh had an opportunity to hire Weaver two years ago in Baltimore, but passed on him as well as current New York Giants defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson. Both were interviewed for the Giants’ open position before Harbaugh selected Wilson. The Ravens eventually hired Zach Orr, and that didn’t work out well, especially in 2025. The Ravens were ranked No. 30 in pass defense, allowing 247.9 yards per game, and No. 24 in total defense, giving up 354.5 yards a contest. As for sack specialists, the Ravens didn’t have one. Defensive end Tavius Robinson had 4 1/2 sacks and rookie outside linebacker Mike Green had 3 1/2. The bunch was extremely ordinary. It will be interesting to see how the past connections flow. The Chargers have some ideal pass rushers available in free agency in Khalil Mack and former Ravens edge Odafe Oweh. Will Weaver have much say in those possible deals? Related Articles Instant analysis: Ravens hiring Anthony Weaver as new defensive coordinator Ravens hiring Navy defensive coordinator P.J. Volker as defensive assistant Ravens hiring Anthony Weaver as defensive coordinator: source READER POLL: What’s your confidence level in new Ravens coach Jesse Minter? Could Ravens be headed for an international game in 2026 season? The experience factor, though, should pay off well for the Ravens. Despite having worked for both Harbaugh brothers, younger brother Jim in Los Angeles and older brother John in Baltimore, Minter is a first-year head coach. Ravens new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, 29, has never called plays in a game despite working for Ben Johnson in Chicago and Sean Payton in Denver. The Ravens needed experience. Besides playing for seven years, Weaver has had coaching stints with the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills and the Cleveland Browns as well as serving as the Texans’ defensive coordinator in 2020. As for the last two seasons as the coordinator in Miami, no one can hold that against Weaver. Miami had been soft for years and its run defense was abysmal and finished ranked No. 27. The passing defense was No. 18, allowing 216.4 yards per game. Weaver, though, came up during some good times in Baltimore. He was first hired as the defensive line coach and run game coordinator in 2021, and later promoted to assistant head coach in 2022. So, he knows about the work ethic in Baltimore and was with current Seattle coach Mike Macdonald when he was the coordinator in Baltimore. Right now, after watching the past two seasons, that has a lot of meaning in town. He appears to be a good fit, and hopefully will get a head coaching job soon. Overall, not bad for a “tweener.” Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

The Ravens are hiring Anthony Weaver as their new defensive coordinator. Weaver will work alongside new coach Jesse Minter, who will call the defensive plays. Here’s what The Baltimore Sun sports staff has to say about the hiring of Weaver: Brian Wacker, reporter It seemed only a matter of time before Anthony Weaver landed back with the Ravens. A finalist for their head coaching job and a popular candidate this cycle, he brings a familiar and respected presence to fill in the gaps alongside first-year head coach and defensive play-caller Jesse Minter. Among Weaver’s responsibilities will be game planning, scouting and working with the defensive line. A former defensive end who is as charismatic as he is tough, he also knows how to command a room, so he should have no problem leading defensive meetings, something he has experience doing after two years as the Miami Dolphins’ defensive coordinator and one year in the same role with the Houston Texans. Though Weaver was passed over twice before under previous Ravens coach John Harbaugh, first for Mike Macdonald then for Zach Orr, Harbaugh, like everyone else in the building, had high praise for Weaver and viewed him as a potential head coach. Now, he’ll be the Yang to Minter’s Yin in trying to restore the identity and production of a once-proud and feared defense that had slipped significantly the past two seasons. Sam Cohn, reporter I’d be lying if I said my brain went to anything other than that one viral clip of Weaver when he was coaching in Miami, deadpanning, “All of our problems that we need to solve can be solved through violence.” Weaver was a popular name this coaching cycle who landed outside the final list of head coaching hires. He interviewed for multiple head jobs, including in Baltimore. After Minter took a swing on a 29-year-old first time play caller to manage the offense, this feels like a safe bet for the other coordinator role. Minter will call the plays defensively. So it makes sense he’d choose someone who he already had a connection to, who shares his vision and could articulate the Raven way. That’s Weaver. He overlapped with Minter in Baltimore during the late 2010s and at 45 years old, is older than both Minter and offensive coordinator Declan Doyle. Baltimore’s defense lost its way in 2025. Perhaps Weaver can help fix that with football violence. Josh Tolentino, columnist Welcome back to Baltimore, Anthony Weaver. It’s a familiar phrase following last week’s greeting for Jesse Minter, and now Weaver rejoins the flock as the Ravens’ defensive coordinator. Weaver interviewed for five head coaching openings this cycle, and was one of three finalists in Baltimore. This is a clear floor-raising hire. Weaver brings deep familiarity with the organization and he will play a key role in helping a defense that needs straightening after the unit faltered in key moments over the past two seasons under former defensive play-caller Zach Orr. Weaver, 45, won’t call plays, a responsibility that belongs to first-year coach Jesse Minter, 42, but his influence will be felt in weekly game planning and maximizing the talent already on the roster with Baltimore devoting a healthy amount of resources toward the defense. The level of collaboration between Weaver and Minter looms especially large for a pass rush that slipped terribly this past season; Baltimore finished with just 30 sacks, third fewest in the NFL. Weaver was an in-house candidate to replace Mike Macdonald in 2024, but former coach John Harbaugh opted to promote Orr instead. With Harbaugh and Orr both gone and Weaver returning to the Castle, the Ravens appear hopeful that Weaver’s experience as a former Baltimore defensive end (2002-2005) and assistant coach (2021-2023) can help stabilize a group that lost its edge, while allowing Minter to set the vision and scheme from the top. Bennett Conlin, editor The move makes a ton of sense. Weaver is a longtime defensive assistant with a deep understand of Baltimore’s organization, and he’s likely going to be a head coach one day in the near future. He’ll immediately bring stability and experience to what’s looking like a star-studded defensive coaching staff. Related Articles Ravens hiring Navy defensive coordinator P.J. Volker as defensive assistant Ravens hiring Anthony Weaver as defensive coordinator: source READER POLL: What’s your confidence level in new Ravens coach Jesse Minter? Could Ravens be headed for an international game in 2026 season? Baltimore Sun to launch ‘Early Birds’ podcast Feb. 12 on Orioles, Ravens Minter didn’t need someone to call plays, but Weaver has the chops to do so if Minter ever wants to delegate that task. Weaver is an ideal hire to help design game plans and develop players throughout the course of a season. After the Ravens struggled to rush the passer in 2025, they’re bringing in a coordinator with playing and coaching experience along Baltimore’s defensive front. The move checks a bunch of boxes as Minter looks to fix a talented but inconsistent defense in 2026. I love Minter’s coordinator hires, and his biggest future concern might be losing Declan Doyle and Weaver to head coaching opportunities. Have a news tip? Contact Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. View the full article

New Ravens coach Jesse Minter continues to fill out his staff and he didn’t have to go very far for his latest hire. Navy defensive coordinator and linebackers coach P.J. Volker is expected to join Baltimore as a defensive assistant, a source with direct knowledge of the move confirmed to The Baltimore Sun. The Athletic was first to report the news. That Volker, 36, is coming to the Ravens is also not surprising. The two were teammates at the College of Mount St. Joseph (Ohio), coached together at Indiana State and Georgia State and have been close friends for years, with each in the other’s wedding party. Volker also previously turned down an opportunity to join the Los Angeles Chargers and Minter in February 2024 and had put together a solid resume as the Midshipmen’s defensive coordinator over the past three seasons. That included in 2025 when Navy finished 11-2 and with a 35-13 win over Cincinnati in the Liberty Bowl to end the year ranked No. 23 in the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls. Along the way, Navy’s defense held its final three opponents under 300 yards of total offense, something it hadn’t done since 2020. Defensive tackle Landon Robinson was named American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year after leading the conference with 6 1/2 sacks in 11 games. Volker, of course, also has plenty of familiarity with Minter’s defensive philosophy. “He would stand up on Friday nights before the game when we’re meeting with the defense and talk about how he saw the game unfolding,” Volker said after Minter was hired earlier this month. “More times than not, it was spot on. “There’s no doubt in my mind he was destined to be a head coach in the NFL. He’s ready for this opportunity. I think everybody that’s been around him knew this was gonna happen, it was just a matter of when.” Volker also called Minter a “great listener.” Now they’ll get to work together once more. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. Related Articles Instant analysis: Ravens hiring Anthony Weaver as new defensive coordinator Ravens hiring Anthony Weaver as defensive coordinator: source READER POLL: What’s your confidence level in new Ravens coach Jesse Minter? Could Ravens be headed for an international game in 2026 season? Baltimore Sun to launch ‘Early Birds’ podcast Feb. 12 on Orioles, Ravens View the full article

New Ravens coach Jesse Minter is hiring a familiar face to be his defensive coordinator. Ex-Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator and former Ravens defensive line coach Anthony Weaver is coming back to Baltimore, a source with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Baltimore Sun. Weaver, 45, was a finalist for the Ravens’ head coaching job and returns to the city after two seasons running Miami’s defense. He was previously passed over twice for Baltimore’s defensive coordinator role under prior coach John Harbaugh, but brings plenty of experience and a voice that has long been respected on the field and in the building. Tough but charismatic, the former NFL defensive end spent four years with the Ravens as a player, three as an assistant and with Minter being a first-time head coach who will call the defensive plays Weaver’s traits should mesh well among a staff that has trended toward the younger side so far. Minter, who was a defensive assistant with the Ravens from 2017 through 2020, hasn’t previously worked directly with Weaver, their coaching careers in Baltimore missing each other by a year. Weaver replaces Zach Orr, whose two seasons in Baltimore were marked by inconsistencies and defensive lapses. This past season, the Ravens’ defense ranked 24th with 354.5 yards allowed per game. They also ranked 31st against the pass for the second straight year and only two teams had fewer sacks. Weaver’s defenses in Miami, meanwhile, were up and down. After finishing in the top 10 in yards and points allowed in 2024, the Dolphins ranked 22nd in total defense, allowing an average of 348.8 yards per game. That included a run defense that was 26th with 132.4 yards allowed per game. Still, those struggles were viewed at least in part because of larger symptomatic problems within a Dolphins team that struggled to a 7-10 mark. Weaver was also one of the more popular head coaching candidates this cycle, landing interviews with the Arizona Cardinals, Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills and Atlanta Falcons and had gotten second interviews with the Cardinals, Ravens and Steelers. Weaver became available after Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel was fired and replaced by Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. Related Articles Instant analysis: Ravens hiring Anthony Weaver as new defensive coordinator Ravens hiring Navy defensive coordinator P.J. Volker as defensive assistant READER POLL: What’s your confidence level in new Ravens coach Jesse Minter? Could Ravens be headed for an international game in 2026 season? Baltimore Sun to launch ‘Early Birds’ podcast Feb. 12 on Orioles, Ravens A seven-year NFL veteran as a player, Weaver joined Baltimore’s coaching staff in 2021 as the run game coordinator and defensive line coach after serving as the Texans’ defensive coordinator in 2020. During his time in Baltimore, the defensive line was consistently among the league’s best, particularly against the run. A 2002 second-round draft pick by the Ravens out of Notre Dame, Weaver also played three seasons for the Texans before joining the coaching ranks in 2010 as a graduate assistant at Florida under coach Urban Meyer then as linebackers coach at North Texas in 2011. He then spent time as a defensive assistant with the New York Jets (2012), Buffalo Bills (2013) and Cleveland Browns (2014-15) before joining the Texans as their defensive line coach in 2016 and eventually being promoted to defensive coordinator. Though Minter, who was the Los Angeles Chargers’ defensive coordinator the past two seasons, will call the plays for Baltimore, Weaver will be expected to help turn around a defense that often faltered and was one of the NFL’s worst this past season. He will also lead defensive meetings as well as assist with game planning and scouting, among other responsibilities. His hire is the latest as Minter continues to build his staff. Among the positions he has filled so far are Declan Doyle from the Chicago Bears to be his offensive coordinator, Dwayne Ledford from the Falcons as offensive line coach and Mike Mickens from Notre Dame as secondary coach/pass game coordinator. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

The Ravens got their guy in Jesse Minter. Baltimore’s new coach was introduced last week and has begun filling out his staff, hiring Declan Doyle as his offensive coordinator and Anthony Weaver as defensive coordinator. What is your confidence level in Minter? We want to hear from you. After you vote, leave a comment and we might use your take in The Baltimore Sun. The Baltimore Sun reader poll is an unscientific survey in which website users volunteer their opinions on the subject of the poll. To read the results of previous reader polls, click here. View the full article

The NFL announced on Monday its return to Spain with a multi-year agreement for regular-season games to be held at Madrid’s Bernabéu Stadium – home to Real Madrid Football Club – beginning this year. It’s one of eight International Series games already slated for next season. Other locales include one game each in Melbourne, where the Los Angeles Rams will be a host team; Paris, where the New Orleans Saints will be a host team; Rio de Janeiro; and Munich, with three games scheduled for London. Whether the Ravens will be one of the teams to play an international game has still yet to be announced. But with nine road games, including one against the Atlanta Falcons, who have already been designated as a host team for an international game, there is at least a chance Baltimore could be tapped. The reasons range from quarterback and two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson being one of the most popular players in the league to the fact that the Ravens last year were awarded international marketing rights to the United Kingdom as part of the league’s Global Markets Program. “We have talked to the league,” team President Sashi Brown said during last year’s owners meetings. “We also know there’s a large demand for the Ravens, generally, and Lamar and the growth internationally is something that we embrace fully.” The last time the Ravens played overseas was in 2023, when the Tennessee Titans were a host team at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. Baltimore won, 24-16, on the strength of six Justin Tucker field goals. That marked just the second international game for the Ravens, who also played the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium in 2017. The Jaguars won in a rout, 44-7. With Baltimore only playing eight games at newly renovated M&T Bank Stadium next season, it’s also unlikely they would lose one of those dates as a host team for an international game, meaning that one of its away opponents would almost certainly be a host team. Related Articles Baltimore Sun to launch ‘Early Birds’ podcast Feb. 12 on Orioles, Ravens Josh Tolentino: Ravens don’t play it safe with OC Declan Doyle. That’s admirable. | COMMENTARY Ravens’ Nnamdi Madubuike says ‘good news,’ but injury status still unclear Instant analysis: Ravens hiring Declan Doyle as new offensive coordinator Ravens hiring Bears’ Declan Doyle, 29, as offensive coordinator The Ravens’ road opponents for 2026 include the Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans, Carolina Panthers, Buffalo Bills and Dallas Cowboys. They will also have their usual AFC North road games against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals, though it’s rare for the league to have division foes play outside the United States given the high-stakes (and high-revenue) nature of those contests. Baltimore’s U.K. marketing rights deal also doesn’t necessarily guarantee a trip to London for 2026. Although there’s a long-established established U.K. Ravens fan group, the team has similar ones all over, from Germany to Spain to Mexico to Australia, among other corners of the globe. NFL Network also averaged 6.2 million viewers, per Nielsen, across six international games this past season, representing a 32% jump from 2024 to the highest average to date. Put another way, the league will only continue to expand its global footprint. The NFL’s full schedule will be announced in May. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

To quote Orioles play-by-play voice Kevin Brown, quoting Samuel L. Jackson, “hold on to your butts” — The Baltimore Sun sports staff is starting a podcast. We’re calling it “Early Birds.” Because jokes are funnier when you explain them: It’s a play on The Sun and the Ravens and the Orioles and the fact that you (the listener) will wake up twice a week with a new episode at your fingertips. Orioles beat reporter Matt Weyrich will host the show alongside Ravens reporter Sam Cohn and columnist Josh Tolentino, with new episodes posting Mondays and Thursdays beginning Feb. 12 to kick off spring training. The trio will give Baltimore sports fans an insider perspective on their favorite teams with spirited commentary and an occasional joke at the Yankees’ expense. This is a busy time in Baltimore sports. The Orioles made a splash in free agency. The Ravens have a new head coach for the first time in nearly two decades. Both pro teams in town underperformed in 2025 and enter 2026 wearing rally caps. Let’s talk about it. “Early Birds” will offer exclusive access inside the clubhouse and locker room from reporters who are on the ground for every game, practice and press conference. Episodes will feature interviews with players and coaches, breakdowns of the biggest moments and reactions to breaking news in real time. The podcast will be available in video and audio formats on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow along @SunEarlyBirds on all social media platforms. This is a new venture. So, if you have feedback or if there’s something you want to hear us chat about, please reach out! Our email is earlybirdspod@baltsun.com. About the hosts Matt Weyrich has covered the Orioles and major sporting events in the region since January 2024. The Northern Virginia native previously covered the Washington Nationals and Capitals for NBC Sports Washington and Monumental Sports Network, respectively, after graduating from James Madison University in 2019. Sam Cohn covers the Ravens and Orioles while chasing distinctive feature stories around Maryland. Also reporting on the University of Maryland and the Olympics, he joined The Sun in 2023 as a Harford County High School sports reporter. If he’s not at a game, he’s probably at a coffee shop. Sam grew up in Massachusetts, graduated from Temple University and came to Baltimore from The Philadelphia Inquirer. Josh Tolentino is a sports columnist for The Baltimore Sun. Josh covered the Philadelphia Eagles for The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Dallas Cowboys for Advance Local. He previously covered the NFL and MLB for The Athletic, and also worked at The Kansas City Star and Chicago Sun-Times. View the full article

The Ravens could have played it safe. After hiring new coach Jesse Minter, Baltimore could have prioritized experience and proven play-calling at offensive coordinator. The Ravens could have dipped back into their coaching candidate pool and found their next offensive leader. They did not. Instead, they hired Declan Doyle, a first-time NFL play-caller the same age, 29, as quarterback Lamar Jackson, and placed the future of their offense and much of Jackson’s prime in Doyle’s hands. A source with direct knowledge confirmed Friday evening to The Baltimore Sun that the Ravens are hiring Doyle to join Minter’s staff as offensive coordinator. These consecutive hires reveal the franchise’s posture at a critical moment. With Doyle joining the flock, consider this a huge bet on a recent youth movement in Baltimore and that hyper-modern offensive thinking and projection can unlock more consistency from a unit that too often stalled despite its talent. The Ravens have proven to be an explosive bunch, but untimely mistakes have drowned Baltimore like a backpack full of bricks in the deep end. Doyle inherits an offense with no shortage of high-end options. Jackson remains the most important centerpiece, joined by running back Derrick Henry, tight end Mark Andrews and wide receiver Zay Flowers. Doyle also boasts an existing relationship with three-time Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum, a pending free agent, thanks to their Iowa roots. Doyle’s challenge is to turn that collection of offensive star power into a group that is more reliable, especially in moments that demand precision and timely execution. During Minter’s introductory news conference Thursday, he noted how he wants the Ravens to be at their best “late in the season,” a direct acknowledgement of his predecessor John Harbaugh’s failures from the past two years. The Ravens are hoping Doyle can bring some of that coaching juice he enjoyed in Chicago. The Bears, coming off a commendable run to the NFC divisional round, finished the 2025 season ranked ninth in points per game and sixth in total offense. Meanwhile, the playoff-less Ravens finished 16th in total offense. Although Doyle did not call plays, he worked extensively in game planning and quarterback development under coach Ben Johnson, including close collaboration with second-year quarterback Caleb Williams. Williams impressively topped 225 passing yards in 10 games this past season. Jackson reached that mark just twice. Yep. Just twice. That contrast in offensive consistency extends beyond yardage. Despite logging 441 more snaps across four additional starts than Jackson, Williams was sacked just 24 times. Jackson was taken down 36 times, marking the second-highest sack total of his eight-year career. For Doyle, reducing unnecessary exposure while preserving Jackson’s creativity will be one of the most delicate and important balances to strike. The differences were just as stark among the pass catchers. In Chicago, the Bears spread production evenly across the offense, with four players finishing with more than 650 receiving yards. Baltimore never came close to that balance. Flowers was the only Ravens pass catcher to eclipse 425 yards. Flowers and Andrews also were the only two Ravens to record more than 30 receptions all season, while the Bears had seven players reach that mark. Related Articles Ravens’ Nnamdi Madubuike says ‘good news,’ but injury status still unclear Instant analysis: Ravens hiring Declan Doyle as new offensive coordinator Ravens hiring Bears’ Declan Doyle, 29, as offensive coordinator Ex-Ravens QB Joe Flacco makes Pro Bowl for 1st time in his 18-year career How will Ravens QB Lamar Jackson mesh with new coach Jesse Minter? Expanding involvement and creating dependable options beyond just Flowers will be essential if the Ravens want to create a more diverse and sustainable passing attack. Nowhere is that need more urgent than in the red zone. Baltimore regressed sharply inside the 20 last season, finishing 27th in red zone touchdown percentage. As for ball security, the Ravens’ skill players had 20 fumbles compared with Chicago’s 13. Can Doyle right the offensive ship and get Jackson back to MVP form? Sure, he’s the NFL’s youngest offensive coordinator, but Doyle is at least arriving with reinforcements. Minter’s offensive staff is expected to include Dwayne Ledford, who is reportedly being hired away from Atlanta. Ledford, 49, is widely regarded as one of the league’s top offensive line coaches and run game coordinators. His presence should provide some balance and grounding for a young coordinator and first-time play-caller who inherits an imposing force in Henry. Additionally, the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles requested permission to interview Doyle for their previous offensive coordinator vacancy before he withdrew his name from consideration. It’s a nod to Doyle’s rise among the coaching ranks. Doyle also brings valuable seasoning from his time working under Sean Payton, first as an offensive assistant with the New Orleans Saints and later as the Denver Broncos’ tight ends coach. Doyle’s five combined seasons under Payton offered him exposure to quarterback-centric systems and Payton’s known ability to evolve his offense. Not a bad mentor to have in your back pocket as Doyle takes on the biggest challenge in his career. Pairing a first-time coach with a first-time play-caller is by no means a conservative path. It’s an admirable move with plenty of risk. And for an offense that’s struggled to stay afloat, the Ravens are counting on Doyle to provide the lift. Have a news tip? Contact Josh Tolentino at jtolentino@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200, x.com/JCTSports and instagram.com/JCTSports. View the full article

For the first time in months, Ravens injured defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike has spoken. “Good news,” he posted on X on Friday afternoon. What it means for the two-time Pro Bowl selection, however, is still not entirely clear. Madubuike suffered a season-ending neck injury in a Week 2 win over the Cleveland Browns. “A lot of that is things he needs to address with you guys in his time,” then-coach John Harbaugh said in late September when asked if he was worried it could be career threatening. “I really can’t speak for him, wouldn’t want to. Those are questions that would be best answered by him going forward.” Whether Madubuike’s post means he will be able to return for next season, or if it even pertains to the injury, is unknown. The sixth-year former third-round pick did not immediately respond to messages for comment, nor did his agent. General manager Eric DeCosta when asked earlier this month at the team’s season-ending news conference about the status of Maduibuike also did not shed further light on the situation. “I can’t really discuss that, obviously,” he said. “I will say, not having Nnamdi this year was a horrible situation for our team. I think it affected us in different ways — in many ways. He is a great player, a great person, a special person. “Still working through a lot of his different ideas and things [so] that we can hopefully get more and more information about his situation. But more than that, I think just — I couldn’t talk about the specifics of him and his situation.” Should Madubuike be able to return next season, that would be a big boost, both for a defense that struggled significantly this past season and for new coach Jesse Minter. Baltimore ranked 24th in yards per game (354.5), 28th in pass rush win rate (30%), per ESPN analytics and its 30 sacks tied for the third-fewest in the NFL. Having Madubuike back would surely help. In 2023, his 13 sacks led all interior defensive linemen. He followed that with 6 1/2 sacks in 2024 and had 2 through two games in 2025. His return would also add some much needed depth up front alongside the ascending Travis Jones and veteran John Jenkins, each of whom Baltimore signed to extensions during the season. Madubuike also signed a four-year, $98 million extension in 2024. But whether he will be still remains a mystery for now. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. Related Articles Instant analysis: Ravens hiring Declan Doyle as new offensive coordinator Ravens hiring Bears’ Declan Doyle, 29, as offensive coordinator Ex-Ravens QB Joe Flacco makes Pro Bowl for 1st time in his 18-year career How will Ravens QB Lamar Jackson mesh with new coach Jesse Minter? 3 takeaways from new Ravens coach Jesse Minter, including chain of command View the full article

The Ravens are hiring Declan Doyle to be their next offensive coordinator. The 29-year-old spent the 2025 season as the Chicago Bears’ offensive coordinator, but he wasn’t the team’s play-caller. He’ll join Baltimore and call plays for quarterback Lamar Jackson in 2026, taking over the job previously held by new Browns coach Todd Monken. Here’s what The Baltimore Sun’s sports staff has to say about the addition to Jesse Minter’s inaugural coaching staff: Brian Wacker, reporter The youth movement is on in Baltimore. First, it was 42-year-old Jesse Minter, who is a first-time head coach and checks in five years younger than what was the average age of NFL head coaches at the start of the 2025 season. Now, here comes 29-year-old Declan Doyle, the youngest offensive coordinator in the NFL. He had the same role with the Chicago Bears, but was never going to be calling plays as long as head coach Ben Johnson is there. Doyle is also the same age as Lamar Jackson, so the Ravens’ newest play-caller should have no problem connecting with the quarterback, something that Minter made a point to say is an important characteristic for his assistants as he puts together a staff. In addition to Doyle’s work with helping transform Chicago’s Caleb Williams into a nearly 4,000-yard passer with 27 touchdown passes and seven interceptions this season, he also worked under Sean Payton both in Denver and with the New Orleans Saints. That’s a pretty good tree to come from in terms of offense, particularly for the first-time play-caller who also has ties to the University of Iowa. Now it will be up to Doyle to help deliver on Minter’s goal of elevating Jackson to the “best version of himself” while also keeping him on schedule and taking some of the pressure to do everything off the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player. Sam Cohn, reporter It’s a bit surprising that Minter’s offensive coordinator hire — the person responsible for maximizing Lamar Jackson and looking after what was once the most potent offense in football before backsliding in 2025 — would be someone who didn’t call plays at their previous stop. Doyle, 29, is the youngest OC in the league and has just seven years of NFL coaching experience. Ben Johnson called plays in Chicago, but that’s not a bad coach to learn from. For Minter, that clearly wasn’t disqualifying with this youth-movement hire. Doyle still played a major role in resurrecting the Bears’ offense from the bottom of the league to near the top. He helped Caleb Williams enjoy a breakout Year 2. And Minter made it clear that he was looking for both “schematic expertise” and a “relationship builder.” It’s just funny that the 29-year-old Doyle and Jackson are the same age. Josh Tolentino, columnist Jesse Minter hinted he was in the final stages of hiring his coordinators Thursday during his introductory news conference. Just over 24 hours later, Minter and the Ravens made a splash by bringing in 29-year-old offensive coordinator Declan Doyle. Doyle will be a first-time NFL play-caller, a reality the Ravens clearly embraced as they reshaped their staff around Minter. His age stands out as the youngest coordinator in the league; he’s the same age as franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson. After overseeing second-year quarterback Caleb Williams in Chicago, Doyle is now tasked with helping a two-time NFL MVP return to his dominant form. Doyle worked closely in game planning and player development under Bears coach Ben Johnson, and he also boasts five years of experience working underneath Sean Payton in New Orleans and Denver. During his time with the Saints, Doyle also overlapped with current Lions coach Dan Campbell. Notably, Baltimore wasn’t the only team after Doyle’s services. The reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles requested permission to interview him for their previous offensive coordinator vacancy before Doyle withdrew his name this week from consideration, signaling that he was selective, and that the Ravens were not alone in viewing him as a rising offensive mind. Doyle arrives in Baltimore already with the backing of three-time Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum, an important relationship that could play a significant role in Linderbaum signing a contract extension this offseason with the Ravens. Linderbaum, an Iowa native like Doyle, attended the University of Iowa, where Doyle’s father Chris was a longtime strength and conditioning coach. That type of support should help in a locker room that just said goodbye to 59-year-old Todd Monken. C.J. Doon, editor On the surface, this is an exciting hire for Baltimore given the unknown possibilities. At just 29 years old, Doyle has his whole career ahead of him and provides a little more juice than a retread coordinator such as Kliff Kingsbury. But that’s also what makes this move a little worrisome. All we have to learn from is Doyle’s experience in Chicago as the OC under Ben Johnson, who is widely regarded as one of the best offensive minds in the game. How much credit does Doyle deserve for his work with Caleb Williams in helping Chicago become an NFC contender this past season? The Iowa native is now stepping into a bright spotlight as the play-caller for Lamar Jackson. Fans will expect immediate results from an offense that has been near the top of league when Jackson is healthy. How will Doyle handle that kind of pressure? New coach Jesse Minter deserves credit for trusting in a young assistant for such a big role. We’ll see if it pays off. Related Articles Ravens’ Nnamdi Madubuike says ‘good news,’ but injury status still unclear Ravens hiring Bears’ Declan Doyle, 29, as offensive coordinator Ex-Ravens QB Joe Flacco makes Pro Bowl for 1st time in his 18-year career How will Ravens QB Lamar Jackson mesh with new coach Jesse Minter? 3 takeaways from new Ravens coach Jesse Minter, including chain of command Bennett Conlin, editor I like the Ravens’ thought process of hiring a rising star with experience working under Sean Payton and Ben Johnson. While he’s yet to call plays, Doyle is highly regarded by both Payton and Johnson, and he helped design game plans for a much-improved Chicago offense in 2025. There’s no doubting his schematic background, but my No. 1 concern is how he’ll lead a unit with so much star power. It’s one thing to call plays, but it’s another to command respect from Derrick Henry, Lamar Jackson, Zay Flowers, Mark Andrews and Ronnie Stanley. If he can get the stars on board with his coaching philosophy, the sky is the limit for Baltimore’s offense in 2026 and beyond. But if there are any cracks in the relationship — like there seemed to be with Jackson and Monken in 2025 — it’ll handicap the Ravens’ ceiling. Doyle faces a lofty challenge in trying to take an offense from good to great, especially in postseason play. Coaches often view challenges as opportunities, though. For a young coach looking to make his name in the NFL, there are few better opportunities than leading the Ravens’ offense. Can Doyle help lead Baltimore and Jackson to a Super Bowl? That’s going to be the expectation from fans and ownership in the coming seasons. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

New Ravens coach Jesse Minter is hiring Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle to be Baltimore’s offensive coordinator, a source with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Baltimore Sun. Doyle replaces Todd Monken, whom previous coach John Harbaugh had hired in 2023 and is now the coach of the Cleveland Browns. Next to Minter, the position is perhaps the most important — and scrutinized — on the coaching staff. Doyle will also have plenty of talent to work with, from quarterback and two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson to running back Derrick Henry and wide receiver Zay Flowers, both of whom were Pro Bowl selections in 2025, among others. Doyle, 29, is viewed as another rising young assistant in NFL circles. He’s the youngest offensive coordinator in the league. Though he was the Bears’ offensive coordinator this past season, he did not call the plays under first-year coach Ben Johnson. Doyle helped transform quarterback Caleb Williams and the Bears into a potent offense after spending two years as the Denver Broncos’ tight end coach. Before that, he spent four years as an offensive assistant for the New Orleans Saints under Sean Payton. In replacing Monken, he’ll also look to revive an offense that was at times historically great. In 2024, the Ravens became the first team to pass for at least 4,000 yards and rush for 3,000 in the same season. Their 424.9 yards per game were tops in the league and their 30.5 points per game ranked third that year. But the offense took a step back in 2025 while Jackson missed four games because of injuries. Though Baltimore was second in the league in rushing, the Ravens ranked 15th in yards (332.2) and 10th in scoring (24.9). They also were one of the worst teams at scoring touchdowns from the red zone after leading the league in 2024. Now it will be up to Doyle to turn that around. This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. Related Articles How will Ravens QB Lamar Jackson mesh with new coach Jesse Minter? 3 takeaways from new Ravens coach Jesse Minter, including chain of command Josh Tolentino: Ravens’ Jesse Minter will call the defense. What about the offense? | COMMENTARY Some Ravens players were ‘very helpful’ in choosing Jesse Minter as coach Mike Preston: Ravens’ defense needs fixing. Here comes Jesse Minter. | COMMENTARY View the full article

After one of the worst statistical seasons of his 18-year NFL career and a 2-8 record as a starter, Joe Flacco is also a Pro Bowl selection for the first time. Wait, what? Yes, the 41-year-old former Ravens quarterback was named an AFC Pro Bowl participant Friday as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals. With several AFC quarterbacks declining to participate in this year’s Pro Bowl Games (Lamar Jackson was named an alternate in December), it opened the door for Flacco to play in Tuesday’s event. Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders also made the event this week as a late addition despite a mediocre 2025 campaign that included more interceptions (10) than passing touchdowns (seven). Flacco, who led the Ravens to a Super Bowl victory during the 2012-13 season, started 10 games in 2025 for the Browns and Bengals. He passed for 2,479 yards with 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. His QBR of 41.1 is the second-lowest of his career, with only his 2022 season with the Jets (36.1) being worse. While his numbers weren’t great, Flacco faced adverse situations this fall. His opening stint with the Browns came with a dysfunctional offense that ultimately led to the firing of coach Kevin Stefanski. Former Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken will replace Stefanski in 2026, as the AFC North franchise seeks stability and offensive improvement. The Browns traded Flacco within the division after Flacco started four games for them. The Bengals made the move after Joe Burrow suffered a turf toe injury. In Cincinnati, Flacco was tasked with filling in for the Bengals’ superstar on short notice. He had minimal time to learn the Bengals’ playbook, but still threw for over 300 yards on two separate occasions, including a league-high 470-yard performance against Chicago. Cincinnati scored 30 or more points in three of Flacco’s six starts, but only went 1-2 in those games as the Bengals’ defense was one of the NFL’s worst. Flacco enters the 2026 offseason as a free agent. He said on a recent episode of the BMore Football Podcast that he still loves the game and anticipates playing in 2026. He’ll likely land somewhere as a veteran backup or a possible starting option for a quarterback-needy team. Have a news tip? Contact Bennett Conlin at bconlin@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/BennettConlin. Related Articles How will Ravens QB Lamar Jackson mesh with new coach Jesse Minter? 3 takeaways from new Ravens coach Jesse Minter, including chain of command Josh Tolentino: Ravens’ Jesse Minter will call the defense. What about the offense? | COMMENTARY Some Ravens players were ‘very helpful’ in choosing Jesse Minter as coach Mike Preston: Ravens’ defense needs fixing. Here comes Jesse Minter. | COMMENTARY View the full article

On Thursday, the Ravens formally introduced new head coach Jesse Minter. Among those in attendance in Owings Mills were the usual throng of family members, front office executives, a gaggle of staff and roughly two dozen former and current players. Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson was not one of them. Jackson, of course, was hardly alone. Only a handful of current players were in the audience, with defensive tackle Travis Jones the most prominent. As another example, All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton, the highest paid player at his position in the NFL, and Pro Bowl linebacker Roquan Smith were also among those absent. It is, after all, the offseason, Jackson prefers to retreat to his home in South Florida this time of year and things ended earlier than expected and in frustratingly familiar fashion for the Ravens, who finished 8-9 to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2021. That, and more importantly recent postseason futility, led to John Harbaugh’s firing, which led to Minter’s hiring. While Jackson was nowhere to be seen on Thursday, Minter did say, however, that he has already had “multiple” conversations with the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player in the week since he has been hired. The 42-year-old first-time head coach and former Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator praised for his ability to connect with people also said that he is interested in helping Jackson “become the best version of himself, creating a team identity that allows him to thrive, which he’s already proven to be one of the best players in the National Football League.” “It’s been great to get to know him,” Minter said. “I think relationships take time. And so, you don’t become the head coach of the Ravens and expect to have a deep relationship with anybody. Those take time. We’ve been working towards that already. We’ve had wonderful conversations, look forward to many, many more.” How those conversations manifest to results on the field will play out in the months ahead and will also largely hinge on who Minter hires as his offensive coordinator. Over the past three years, Todd Monken held the job before Harbaugh was fired and Monken went on to become the Cleveland Browns coach. During their time together, Jackson won a second NFL MVP Award after the 2023 season and a year later posted career highs in passing yards (4,172) and touchdown passes (41). But this past season, things seemed to hit a wall. Jackson suffered myriad injuries, including to his hamstring, knee, ankle and toe, and missed four games. He also asked that certain quarterback run plays not be part of the game plan, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the situation, and had in most ways the worst year of his career. Questions percolated about the relationship between the quarterback, Harbaugh and Monken. Though the latter two said that they had no issues with Jackson, and Bisciotti said that Jackson told him he had no problems with either, it was clear a schism had developed. Ravens coach Jesse Minter was greeted by past and present Baltimore players during his introduction Thursday. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Things were only exacerbated by the fact that over Jackson’s eight seasons, Baltimore has won just three playoff games and never advanced beyond the AFC championship game. He, like the team around him, has often regressed when the stakes have been at their highest as well, with 10 touchdown passes alongside 11 turnovers in eight games. Simply put, as one source said of the regime change, “it was time.” One of Minter’s biggest tasks, then, will be to keep Jackson engaged off the field and on schedule on it, have him get the ball out quickly and utilize the dynamic talents that have propelled him to becoming the NFL’s all-time leading rusher among quarterbacks while also improving exponentially as a passer. Brilliant as he is at freelancing, it’s also tough to be consistent when doing so. Put another way, the Ravens also go as Jackson does and it will be up to Minter, along with those he surrounds himself with, to reach the player he reverently calls the best in the sport. Minter and Jackson, of course, are also not strangers. Minter was in his second year as a defensive assistant in Baltimore when the Ravens drafted Jackson in 2018. A year later, Jackson took over as the full-time starter, Minter was promoted to assistant defensive backs coach and the quarterback won his first NFL MVP Award in coordinator Greg Roman’s offense. In 2020, Minter was promoted to defensive backs coach before heading to Vanderbilt and then Michigan and then the Chargers for defensive coordinator jobs. Related Articles 3 takeaways from new Ravens coach Jesse Minter, including chain of command Josh Tolentino: Ravens’ Jesse Minter will call the defense. What about the offense? | COMMENTARY Some Ravens players were ‘very helpful’ in choosing Jesse Minter as coach Mike Preston: Ravens’ defense needs fixing. Here comes Jesse Minter. | COMMENTARY Ravens GM Eric DeCosta needed to reimagine Jesse Minter. Then he hired him. So what kind of coordinators and assistants are Minter seeking as he zeroes in on those decisions in the coming hours and days? “I’m looking for leaders and connectors and relationship builders and schematic expertise,” he said. “But most importantly, guys that the players believe in. [Coaches] that are willing to dive deep and build really strong relationships with the players. “I think [we will excel] when they feel that it’s collaborative, and they feel that it’s ours and not just the coaches, and [don’t think that] this is what the players do, and this is what the coaches do. It’s all of us.” No one more so than Jackson. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

Players past and present shuffled into an auditorium Thursday morning in Owings Mills, where the Ravens formally introduced Jesse Minter as their new head coach. The team laid out a literal purple carpet. Minter snapped photos and, at one point, allowed some emotion to seep through when thanking his family. It was a red letter day in the history of Ravens football. Here are three takeaways: Nearing coordinator hires On Jan. 22, the Ravens hired Minter as the organization’s fourth coach. Within a few days, he solidified two hires of his own: defensive backs coach Mike Mickens and offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford. The early returns on both are that Minter snagged two of the sport’s preeminent minds at those positions to address groups that faltered in Baltimore this past season. That’s all well and great, but what matters more right now — and what will more directly impact Minter’s success — is who he chooses to fill coordinator positions. Minter declined to reveal any names but said that those searches are “going well” and “far along.” There’s a chance Baltimore has one or multiple coordinator spots filled by the weekend, as Minter tries to get his affairs in order and hit the ground running. Broncos pass game coordinator Davis Webb and Lions wide receivers coach Scottie Montgomery are two names reportedly in the mix as potential Ravens offensive coordinators. As for the defense, Minter confirmed that he will be calling the plays. In the search for his right hand man, the Ravens requested to interview Broncos defensive pass game coordinator Jim Leonhard as a potential defensive coordinator. Leonhard played in Baltimore for one season in 2008. The Ravens also completed an interview with Chiefs defensive line coach Joe Cullen. “I’m looking for leaders and connectors and relationship builders and schematic expertise, but most importantly, guys that the players believe in,” Minter said. “[Coaches] that are willing to dive deep and build really strong relationships with the players. I think [we will excel] when they feel that it’s collaborative. “It’s all of us, so I’m excited about the people involved in those searches right now, and I look forward to sharing those in the near future.” Players were involved in the decision. To what degree, we don’t know. General manager Eric DeCosta described the hiring process as a two-week sprint. He likened it to the draft with a much shorter runway, in which Ravens luminaries fielded near constant calls. Related Articles How will Ravens QB Lamar Jackson mesh with new coach Jesse Minter? Josh Tolentino: Ravens’ Jesse Minter will call the defense. What about the offense? | COMMENTARY Some Ravens players were ‘very helpful’ in choosing Jesse Minter as coach Mike Preston: Ravens’ defense needs fixing. Here comes Jesse Minter. | COMMENTARY Ravens GM Eric DeCosta needed to reimagine Jesse Minter. Then he hired him. Involved in that process, DeCosta said, was a small group of players split evenly among offense and defense. None of which were named specifically. They tried to pick all veteran players to be involved, virtually or in person. “We had some guys on Zoom, and we had some guys that were in person, and they met with all the finalists,” DeCosta said. “So, over the last week of the process, they met with all the candidates that were coming in, and I can also say that some of our players are still involved in the process and will be involved with the process as it pertains to coordinators and other hires as well, which we’re excited about. Their opinion was valuable and very helpful.” Over the past week, Minter has had conversations with Lamar Jackson and Kyle Hamilton. He called Jackson “the best player in the National Football League” and described Hamilton as “a weapon on defense.” Thursday’s news conference did not reveal much in the way of details about player involvement in the decision to hire Minter. But there was a leadership group dialed in, and some of the players are voicing their opinions as Minter builds his staff. Chain of command isn’t changing John Harbaugh made waves when, upon being ousted in Baltimore and promptly hired in New York, he took his uncommon organizational structure with him. The head coach and general manager both report to one person: the owner. It worked in Baltimore for many years with Harbaugh and DeCosta each reporting to Steve Bisciotti. Bisciotti recently downplayed the dynamic, saying that if there was ever a standoff, a hands-off owner could be the tying vote but that a standoff never occurred. The Ravens won two Super Bowls that way, DeCosta pointed out, “and we believe in that system — working together, fighting together and figuring things out together.” The Giants are getting used to that change with Harbaugh. The Ravens plan to keep that dynamic status quo with Minter. “I think it’s a partnership with Eric and I, and that’s really what I was looking for in this whole process was a partnership and somebody that you really, really trust,” Minter said. The decision to maintain a similar power structure says as much about Minter as it does the Ravens’ belief in how they operate. When Harbaugh texted Minter, “they should hire you,” perhaps he knew they’d be a good fit in that respect. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn.x.com. View the full article

New Ravens coach Jesse Minter made one thing especially clear Thursday. The defense is his. Minter confirmed during his 25-minute introductory news conference that he will call plays on defense, continuing the hands-on approach that’s helped define his rise from defensive assistant in Baltimore to one of the NFL’s most respected young defensive minds. It was a decisive answer, and quite frankly, an expected one. A bigger issue still remains. What about the offense? That uncertainty hovered inside the team’s Owings Mills headquarters after Minter finished shaking hands, posing for photos and fulfilling his first-day responsibilities. In Minter, the Ravens hired a defensive head coach following consecutive campaigns that went awry due to defensive struggles and ultimately postseason regression. After losing to the Chiefs at home in the 2023 AFC championship game, the Ravens lost to the Bills in the 2024 divisional round and missed out on the playoffs completely this past season. Minter arrives in Baltimore with deep familiarity with the organization. He first served as a defensive assistant, working his way up to defensive backs coach between 2017 to 2020, before leaving on his “own accord” to become Vanderbilt’s defensive coordinator. He later joined Jim Harbaugh at Michigan, won a national championship in 2023, then spent the past two seasons engineering a defensive turnaround with the Los Angeles Chargers. On Thursday, Minter outlined traits he’s looking for as he fills out the rest of his coaching staff, including the ever-important offensive coordinator position. “I’m looking for leaders and connectors and relationship builders and schematic expertise,” Minter said. “But most importantly, guys that the players believe in. Coaches that are willing to dive deep and build really strong relationships with the players.” Baltimore has reportedly interviewed Lions assistant head coach and wide receivers coach Scottie Montgomery and Broncos pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Davis Webb for the offensive coordinator vacancy. Whoever gets the job will be tasked with helping resurrect an offense that was plagued by inconsistency and poor execution during critical downs. Overall, the Ravens finished 16th in the NFL in total offense (332.2 yards per game). Quarterback and two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson battled multiple injuries in a forgettable season that ended with a 6-7 record as the starter. His rushing numbers dipped to career lows, while his explosiveness and elusiveness vanished. As Minter and the Ravens chart their future, the coaching staff’s ability to maximize what’s left of Jackson’s prime ahead of his age 29 season is undoubtedly a top priority. It’s also impossible to separate Jackson’s on-field outlook from his current financial situation. Jackson’s cap number balloons to $74.5 million next season, representing roughly a quarter of the team’s projected salary cap. A restructure is essential if Baltimore wants to build a more complete roster around the quarterback. Jackson’s willingness and urgency to collaborate on a solution remain paramount. Related Articles How will Ravens QB Lamar Jackson mesh with new coach Jesse Minter? 3 takeaways from new Ravens coach Jesse Minter, including chain of command Some Ravens players were ‘very helpful’ in choosing Jesse Minter as coach Mike Preston: Ravens’ defense needs fixing. Here comes Jesse Minter. | COMMENTARY Ravens GM Eric DeCosta needed to reimagine Jesse Minter. Then he hired him. “I just look forward to connecting with [Jackson], helping him become the best version of himself,” Minter said. “Creating a team identity that allows him to thrive, which he’s already proven to be an elite — one of the best players in the National Football League, and put a team around him that allows him to reach that ultimate goal of bringing a Super Bowl back to Baltimore.” Unfortunately, Jackson’s absence from Thursday’s news conference stood out. Only nine players attended to support Minter: Running back Justice Hill, offensive linemen Carson Vinson and Gerad Lichtenhan, defensive linemen Travis Jones, Broderick Washington Jr. and Aeneas Peebles, linebacker Teddye Buchanan and defensive backs Bilhal Kone and Robert Longerbeam. Jackson wasn’t there. Neither were Kyle Hamilton, Roquan Smith, Mark Andrews or other cornerstone veterans. To be clear: Jackson was not required to be present for Minter’s first official day at the Castle. But just earlier this month during their end-of-season news conference, owner Steve Bisciotti and general manager Eric DeCosta publicly challenged Jackson to display improved communication and collaboration moving forward. Thursday presented a golden opportunity for Jackson to signal alignment as the franchise turned the page to its fourth head coach. Around the league, similar introductory moments unfolded a bit differently. On the same day the Ravens introduced Minter, franchise pillars in Buffalo and Tennessee showed up alongside new head coaches Joe Brady and Robert Saleh, with Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Titans quarterback Cam Ward joined by defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons. Those key appearances displayed established leaders understanding the importance of their presence at the outset of new eras. Allen even hosted an impromptu news conference, discussing his involvement in Buffalo’s hiring process, his support of Brady and his broken foot injury. Back in Owings Mills, Minter said he and Jackson have already started building a relationship. “Lamar and I have had multiple conversations,” Minter said. “It’s been great. It’s been great to get to know him. Relationships take time. … We’ve been working towards that already.” Bisciotti previously volunteered to lend Jackson his private plane to travel from South Florida to Baltimore to participate in head-coaching interviews. The Ravens interviewed nearly two dozen candidates, including finalists Minter, Brady and Anthony Weaver. If that level of access existed during the process, it’s fair to wonder whether Jackson could’ve taken up the same service Thursday. With Minter flanked onstage by team president Sahsi Brown and DeCosta, Bisciotti had a front row seat alongside former general manager and senior adviser Ozzie Newsome. DeCosta was asked directly whether Jackson participated in finalist interviews. His response came across as general and notably indirect. “We had a small group of players kind of split evenly among offense and defense,” DeCosta said. “They had the opportunity to come into Baltimore or be a part of a Zoom. … Their opinion was valuable and very helpful.” Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, right, and offensive coordinator Todd Monken speak before a Week 18 game against the Steelers. Jackson will have a new offensive coordinator in 2026. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) The Ravens are walking a familiar line of protecting their franchise quarterback while hoping Jackson grows into a more coherent leadership role that includes improved communication with the coaching staff and front office. Former offensive coordinator and new Browns coach Todd Monken acknowledged that imbalance, noting on his recent appearance on the Ryan Ripken show that “I didn’t coach Lamar well enough” and “didn’t have as good of a relationship as I could have.” Minter inherits that challenge immediately. The first-time coach arrives in Baltimore with a long history of connecting with players and forming real off-field relationships that have consistently converted to on-field success. “Our football identity, I would say, is [to be] physical, tough, relentless and playing together,” Minter said. “I think when people turn on our film, I want them to see a team that’s really well connected, that plays for each other. You’re not just playing for yourself, you’re playing for everybody. There’s a physicality that comes along with that. There’s a mental and physical toughness that comes along with that. There are schematic things that come along with that. “I’m really looking forward to building that with our team, creating our own identity in that regard and building on what’s been done here in the past.” Minter is in place and the defensive identity is spoken for. The offense, however, from coordinator and offensive staff to philosophy and how it maximizes what remains of Jackson’s prime while navigating an unavoidable contract restructure, remains under construction. Have a news tip? Contact Josh Tolentino at jtolentino@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200, x.com/JCTSports and instagram.com/JCTSports. View the full article

Eric DeCosta didn’t do it alone. The Ravens’ general manager said Thursday that a “small group” of both offensive and defensive players, many of whom are veterans, helped Baltimore choose Jesse Minter to be its next coach. “Their opinion was valuable and very helpful,” DeCosta said at Minter’s introductory news conference in Owings Mills. “They came at it from a different perspective as players. The feedback that we got from the candidates was fantastic.” The players’ roles are not finished. DeCosta said that the group is also helping evaluate candidates for the team’s offensive and defensive coordinator positions and other roles on the coaching staff. Minter’s hiring, announced last Thursday, marked DeCosta’s first head-coaching search since becoming general manager in 2019. While DeCosta was involved in the hiring of John Harbaugh in 2008 as director of college scouting, this process was different. He was leading this. Zoom interviews played a major role, allowing the Ravens to gather information quickly while expanding the scope of voices involved. “The integration of technology allows us to talk to a lot more people in a very short amount of time, which is an opportunity and a challenge,” Ravens president Sashi Brown said. Players participated in interviews in-person or remotely. DeCosta declined to identify those involved, saying only that they were “veteran players that had inquired about being a part of the process.” Owner Steve Bisciotti previously encouraged quarterback Lamar Jackson to take part, though it was not disclosed whether the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player participated in interviews. Jackson was not among the nine current players present Thursday. “I think relationships take time, and so you don’t become the head coach of the Ravens and expect to have a deep relationship with anybody,” Minter said of the star quarterback. “I just look forward to connecting with him, helping him become the best version of himself.” DeCosta acknowledged that it initially took some time for him to envision Minter, who worked in Baltimore from 2017 to 2020 as a defensive assistant and defensive backs coach, as a head coach. . That perception shifted as DeCosta gathered feedback from those who had worked closely with Minter, including Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz, who worked closely with DeCosta as Baltimore’s director of player personnel before landing in Los Angeles, and former Ravens safeties Tony Jefferson and Eric Weddle. “Watching him last year … and watching that defense, I’m like, ‘Damn, this is a good team. This is a really good defense. Jesse’s doing a hell of a job,’ ” DeCosta said. “I think it takes a whole process of accumulating information and really removing all the biases that you have in your head.” Minter wouldn’t confirm any hires or timelines for when positions will be filled. He did say that the offensive and defensive coordinator searches are “very far along,” adding that announcements would come “in the near future.” Amid their search for a head coach, the Ravens interviewed several candidates who could fit as offensive coordinator, including former Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, Rams pass game coordinator Nathan Scheelhaase and Broncos quarterbacks coach Davis Webb. Related Articles Mike Preston: Ravens’ defense needs fixing. Here comes Jesse Minter. | COMMENTARY Ravens GM Eric DeCosta needed to reimagine Jesse Minter. Then he hired him. Ravens coach Jesse Minter explains vision: Being at best ‘late in the season’ READERS RESPOND: Ravens fans grade team’s hire of head coach Jesse Minter New Ravens coach Jesse Minter not trying to copy John Harbaugh: ‘Own spin’ Whoever is chosen will play a critical role in the Ravens’ future, particularly in shaping the working relationship with Jackson. That hire carries far more weight than the defensive coordinator decision after Minter said that he will call the defensive plays. With the hires to shape his staff, Minter isn’t just looking for schematic expertise. He explicitly says player buy-in is required. “I’m looking for leaders and connectors and relationship builders and schematic expertise, but most importantly, guys that the players believe in,” Minter said. “I think [we will excel] when they feel that it’s collaborative, and they feel that it’s ours and not just the coaches.” Have a news tip? Contact Michael Howes at mhowes@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/Mikephowes. View the full article

Jesse Minter is on a learning curve, but the Ravens’ first-year head coach said what he needed to Thursday at his introductory news conference. Minter, 42, said that he will run the defense. That might end up being a mistake as 2026 rolls along, but it’s a necessary risk at this point. The Ravens were ranked 24th in total yards, allowing an average 354.5 yards per game and were ranked No. 31 in pass defense. So, Minter, who has a strong defensive background, will call the plays for the Ravens next season. That might sound a little strange for a coach who was hired as a CEO of one of the NFL’s top franchises, but it makes perfect sense. The Ravens need to get back to their roots of being a blue-collar team built on defense. That’s a great thing with such an unpredictable offense. “I do plan on calling the defense,” Minter said. “I think that’s a strength of mine. I think that’s one of the reasons I’m sitting here, but I also think it’s my leadership qualities. I have a really good process, I feel, to do what I need to to do to be ready to call the game, but I also have the ability to be the head coach and to impact the entire roster, the entire team, and make sure that’s its our offense, defense, our special teams, and that’s no divide there. “I know that I’m in charge of all that, but it really starts with the relationships with the people in the building, particularly the players. I think they feel my competitiveness, they’ll feel my mentality every day, and I think we’ll work hand in hand to build a great team.” Translation: It’s unlikely the Ravens will be able to hire a defensive coordinator with as strong a pedigree as Cleveland’s Jim Schwartz or even Denver’s Jim Leonhard, who is the Broncos’ defensive pass game coordinator. Both will probably want the freedom to make an impact and put their signatures on games. Minter might end up hiring a coordinator such as Kansas City Chiefs defensive line coach Joe Cullen or maybe former Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver. They might provide input on game plans, but the final decisions belong to Minter. One thing is certain: It’s a great increase in pay. “I won’t confirm any hires at this point,” Minter said. “Both of those searches are going really well. They’re very far along, I would say. We’re finalizing a few of those pieces. I’m looking for leaders and connectors and relationship builders and schematic expertise, but most importantly, guys that the players believe in.” Eventually, Minter could turn over the defense to a coordinator, but not now. This team has way too many problems. The Ravens allowed 45 sacks but only generated 30, and they were lost on the back end of the defense. Teams took advantage of beating cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins on the outside, and safety Malaki Starks, the team’s first-round draft pick last April, started the season well but struggled near the end. With the neck injury to defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike casting doubts over his availability in 2026 and beyond, this defense might be in a rebuild mode. The Ravens spent a lot of time talking to former players who spent time with Minter such as safeties Eric Weddle and Tony Jefferson. That meant a lot to Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti, who also spoke with team executives and assistant coaches. Minter has also worked with his share of “head cases” in Baltimore such as Humphrey, cornerback Marcus Peters and safety Earl Thomas. The conclusion reached by general manager Eric DeCosta, president Sashi Brown and executive vice president of player personnel Ozzie Newsome was that Minter had a strong relationship with his players, including the alpha males. Remember, former coach John Harbaugh got rid of most of those guys, such as middle linebacker Ray Lewis, receiver Anquan Boldin and safeties Ed Reed and Bernard Pollard soon after the Ravens won the Super Bowl in the 2012 season. Related Articles Some Ravens players were ‘very helpful’ in choosing Jesse Minter as coach Ravens GM Eric DeCosta needed to reimagine Jesse Minter. Then he hired him. Ravens coach Jesse Minter explains vision: Being at best ‘late in the season’ READERS RESPOND: Ravens fans grade team’s hire of head coach Jesse Minter New Ravens coach Jesse Minter not trying to copy John Harbaugh: ‘Own spin’ Harbaugh later realized that he couldn’t win without them, which was part of his evolution as a coach. Minter might be going through a similar stage, even though young head coaches such as the Los Angeles Rams’ Sean McVay (40) and the Seattle Seahawks’ Mike Macdonald (38) are successfully leaning on their backgrounds. Minter was a Ravens defensive assistant backs coach in 2019 and became the coach at that position in 2020. At Michigan, he coordinated the Wolverines’ 2023 unit that led the country in total defense and scoring defense. In 2024, the Chargers improved dramatically and last season Los Angeles was seventh in the NFL with 45 sacks and third in interceptions with 19. Minter is very familiar with the “Ravens Way,” but he declined to get into the problems associated with last year’s Ravens defense. Smart move. Everything has to stay internal, even criticism of former defensive coordinators and assistant coaches. “I’ll dive deep into that over the next month or so,” Minter said. “I have a ton of respect for the coaches that have been here [and] the players. I think about defense a certain way. They’ll learn how I think about it and how I feel about it. I think there’s a fundamental level needed [that’s] required to play great defense that we will harp on tremendously, and so I look forward to getting with the guys [and for] them to kind of learn my thoughts on how you play great defense. I look forward to going to work on that.” Minter, though, agreed that safety Kyle Hamilton’s value is obvious from film study. Hamilton was second on the team with 105 tackles, 25 behind leading tackler and middle linebacker Roquan Smith. “Kyle [Hamilton] is a weapon,” he said. “He is a position-less defensive player that I would classify as a weapon on defense. As much as you can do to get a guy like Kyle near the point of attack, I think, is what you try to do as a designer [or] play-caller. I could not be more thrilled to be able to work with Kyle. I’ve had a couple of really good conversations with him already. I know he’s excited, and I’m excited to work with him alongside all the really great players that we have in this organization.” It’s an exciting time for Ravens football. It’s about going back to their true nature. It’s about going back to their roots. Minter, for at least a day, had all the right answers. “Our football identity — I would say — is physical, tough, relentless and [playing] together,” he said. “I think when people turn on our film, I want them to see a team that’s really well connected [and] that plays for each other. And I think when you do that – when you play like a Raven – you play together. It’s more about everybody that’s out there with you. You’re not just playing for yourself; you’re playing for everybody.” “There’s a physicality that comes along with that. There’s a mental and physical toughness that comes along with that. There are schematic things that come along with that. All the great coaches over time that have been here and that have led historical outputs on both sides of the ball. I think that all encompasses what it means to play like a Raven. And I’m really look forward to building that with our team, creating our own identity in that regard and building on what’s been done here in the past.” Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

Jesse Minter used to be the guy down the hall sharing a small office with three other staffers. Remembering his first Ravens stint from 2017 through 2020, organizational higher-ups still viewed Minter merely as someone who handled draft materials for players near the bottom of their board. “It was hard for me to envision Jesse like he is,” general manager Eric DeCosta acknowledged. Who he is, now, is the fourth head coach in Ravens history. Minter was first hired by the Ravens nine years ago to be a defensive assistant. He left four years later as defensive backs coach, taking the defensive coordinator job at Vanderbilt. Then Minter won a national championship at Michigan and followed Jim Harbaugh to Los Angeles, where he revamped the Chargers’ defense. This time around, the more he reconnected with the now 42-year-old Minter, the quicker DeCosta changed his tune. “He just blew us away in person,” DeCosta said. Minter flew to Baltimore last week for his in-person, second-round interview. DeCosta liked what he heard, at least enough to fly him across the country, but in a way, still had trouble imagining him in the big chair. For most of their previous interactions, the two were at opposite ends of the football decision-making spectrum. Then they sat together in DeCosta’s office. Minter explained how his confidence bloomed with the Chargers, being in an NFL leadership role, and how that readied him to manage both sides of the ball. “Your own style sort of begins to come out,” he said. Minter spelled out his vision for the future of the Ravens. He answered questions about how his success at three stops since he was last in Baltimore could translate to leading a team right in the middle of a championship window. DeCosta’s mind wandered a bit, visualizing Minter in a “crisis situation” or how he’d act in the halftime locker room. “I started to imagine Jesse as our head coach,” DeCosta said, “and what that might look like.” DeCosta did his due diligence. He called Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz, the Ravens’ former director of player personnel. Then he got on the phone with Los Angeles safety Tony Jefferson and retired safety Eric Weddle — both of whom overlapped with Minter in Baltimore. They vouched for him hard. Jefferson worked closely with Minter in Baltimore. He saw first-hand Minter inherit a Chargers defense that ranked 30th in pass defense, 24th in points allowed and 27th in yards per play, flipping to top-seven in all three categories. The Chargers owned the league’s top scoring defense in 2024 — that helped remind DeCosta, too, that Minter had matured into a prominent NFL leader. A small contingent of current Ravens players on both sides of the ball were involved in the process too, according to DeCosta. Some were in Owings Mills and a few called in over Zoom. Finding John Harbaugh’s replacement presented a tall task. He won a Super Bowl in Baltimore. He exemplified stability and owned what it meant within the building to be a Raven. He embodied the characteristics of a culture he inherited then made his own, before the Ravens fired him Jan. 6. Related Articles Some Ravens players were ‘very helpful’ in choosing Jesse Minter as coach Mike Preston: Ravens’ defense needs fixing. Here comes Jesse Minter. | COMMENTARY Ravens coach Jesse Minter explains vision: Being at best ‘late in the season’ READERS RESPOND: Ravens fans grade team’s hire of head coach Jesse Minter New Ravens coach Jesse Minter not trying to copy John Harbaugh: ‘Own spin’ Owner Steve Bisciotti challenged the search committee of DeCosta, team president Sashi Brown and executive vice president Ozzie Newsome, to find the next coach who could pilot the Ravens for the next two decades. DeCosta called the process a two-week sprint. They spoke with at least 20 candidates in various formats. Some connected on a preliminary basis over the phone, others were grilled on Zoom interviews. A select few flew to Baltimore for in-person meetings. “It became apparent quickly that Jesse Minter was the right guy to be our next head football coach,” DeCosta said. “Jesse’s smart, he’s a leader, he’s got great humility, he’s a problem solver, a great tactician and he started at the bottom.” At one point, Harbaugh texted Minter to pledge his support. “They should hire you,” he wrote. Minter wanted the job from the get-go too. He had been eyeing this coaching cycle since last summer as a potential opportunity. In his interview, he made it clear to DeCosta that his familiarity with folks in the building wasn’t the reason he wanted to coach the Ravens. It was “because of my time here that I was able to see how this place operates and knowing that everything is in place to be a championship organization.” Eight teams interviewed the former Chargers defensive coordinator: Browns, Cardinals, Dolphins, Falcons, Giants, Raiders, Ravens and Titans. He completed a few in-person visits as well. At the last minute, the Raiders were reportedly making a heavy push. Baltimore didn’t want to waste any more time. “It was clear to us,” Bisciotti said, “that Jesse is a special talent who has what it takes to lead us as head coach of the Ravens.” Minter just had to remind them he’s not the same man he was a decade ago. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn.x.com. View the full article

The Ravens rolled out the purple carpet for Jesse Minter. About two dozen players present and past — Travis Jones and Justice Hill and Ray Rice and Jamie Sharper among them — filled most of the first three rows in the team’s auditorium in Owings Mills on Thursday. They were there to see the former assistant who’d coached Baltimore’s defensive backs in 2020 before turning defenses around as a coordinator for Vanderbilt, Michigan and the Los Angeles Chargers. Minter, 42, was formally introduced as the fourth head coach in the Ravens’ 31-year history. He was joined on stage by general manager Eric DeCosta and team president Sashi Brown, with owner Steve Bisciotti among the audience. Minter’s words spoke to the culture of the organization without being overly revelatory, though he did provide some insight on his vision and play calling and more. “The we is important,” Minter said in his opening remarks, his wife Rachelle, their three young children and his father, Rick, among the family members in the crowd. “It takes everybody to be successful.” Quarterback Lamar Jackson was not one of the players in attendance — only two starters were — but Minter said that he has had multiple conversations with the 29-year-old two-time NFL Most Valuable Player. “Relationships take time,” Minter said. “You don’t become the head coach of the Ravens and expect to have a deep relationship with anybody. We’ve been working toward that already. “With Lamar, I just look forward to connecting with him, helping him become the best version of himself, creating a team identity that allows him to thrive, which he’s already proven to be the best player in the National Football League and put a team around him that allows him to reach that ultimate goal of bringing a Super Bowl back to Baltimore.” Minter’s work is cut out after the Ravens, Super Bowl favorites at the start of the season, finished 8-9 and short of the playoffs for the first time since 2021, leading to the firing of Minter’s predecessor, John Harbaugh, who had coached Baltimore the past 18 seasons, won a Super Bowl after the 2012 season and became the franchise’s winningest coach and the 14th-winningest coach of all-time. Harbaugh has known Minter since he was about 12 years old, when Minter’s father, Rick, was long ago the coach at the University of Cincinnati and Harbaugh’s boss there. So, it was hardly a surprise that the two had a few conversations before Baltimore hired Minter, with Harbaugh texting, “I think they should hire you.” “I love John,” Minter said. “[It’s] really just like, take the foundation in place and build on it, make it better, put my own spin on it and not try to be John Harbaugh, not try to be Jim Harbaugh, be myself, connect with everybody, make it about all of us, and I really look forward to doing that.” It didn’t take long for Bisciotti, DeCosta, executive vice president Ozzie Newsome and Brown to come to the same conclusion about hiring him, either. Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta, right, said that a group of select players were part of the process in the search for a new coach that led to Jesse Minter, left. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) After Harbaugh was fired Jan. 6, a search for his replacement began almost immediately. More than 20 candidates were interviewed with the list quickly whittled to a handful of finalists for second interviews in Owings Mills. “He just blew us away in person,” DeCosta said of Minter. “As good as his Zoom interview was, spending time with him in Baltimore was even more than I hoped. While he was with me in my office I started to imagine Jesse as our head coach.” That decision was further cemented by feedback Ravens brass got from others in the organization about Minter. That included a small group of players on offense and defense. Though DeCosta did not say which players, he said that they met with all the finalists, either in person or via Zoom. He also said that some are still involved in the process for hiring coordinators and other positions. “Their opinions are valuable, very helpful,” DeCosta said. “They came at it from a different perspective as players.” Bisciotti, who crashed an ESPN interview later in the day, also said that the decision to hire Minter was DeCosta’s and that he simply approved the move, adding that Minter and DeCosta will work well together. “He stood out,” Bisciotti said of Minter. “We got some good candidates but he stood out, so we’re really happy with him.” Related Articles Some Ravens players were ‘very helpful’ in choosing Jesse Minter as coach Mike Preston: Ravens’ defense needs fixing. Here comes Jesse Minter. | COMMENTARY Ravens GM Eric DeCosta needed to reimagine Jesse Minter. Then he hired him. READERS RESPOND: Ravens fans grade team’s hire of head coach Jesse Minter New Ravens coach Jesse Minter not trying to copy John Harbaugh: ‘Own spin’ Minter was a popular candidate in the coaching cycle. He had job interviews with eight teams, including the Las Vegas Raiders, who made a strong push to make him their next coach after parting ways with Pete Carroll. Once the Ravens’ job opened, however, there was little doubt in Minter’s mind. “You really have no idea what jobs are going to be open as you get towards the middle and end of the season,” he said, adding that his feelings for Baltimore strengthened after reconnecting with people in the building. “You feel like you might be a candidate, but when this job opened this became the one for me. This is the one that I wanted.” Now, Minter’s vision for what the Ravens can be will begin to take shape. Already, he has begun to fill out at least some of his staff, though he declined to officially announce any hirings. He did, however, say that the process is “very far along” in some cases and he is close to finalizing some of his assistants, including offensive and defensive coordinator. In terms of what he’s looking for from all of his assistants, he wants “leaders and connectors and relationship builders and schematic expertise.” Most importantly, he added that he wants coaches who players believe in and ones who are willing to “dive deep” and “build really strong relationships.” “I think when they feel it, it’s collaborative,” he said. “They feel it’s ours and not just the coaches and this is what the players do, this is what the coaches do. It’s all of us.” There was a lot of “we” and “us” throughout. That pertains to the chain of command, too. During Harbaugh’s tenure, DeCosta, who has been the general manager since 2019, made personnel decisions with the coach having plenty of sway. Both reported to the owner. The structure will remain the same under Minter, though it’s not totally clear to the exact extent. “I think it’s a partnership with Eric and I,” he said. “That’s really what I was looking for in this whole process. I know we see football the same. We see what building a team looks like the same.” One thing that will remain the same for Minter from his old job is that he will continue to call plays on defense, which could impact who ends up being his defensive coordinator among a pool of candidates that includes former Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator and ex-Raven Anthony Weaver, Kansas City Chiefs defensive line coach Joe Cullen and Denver Broncos defensive pass game coordinator Jim Leonhard. “I think that’s a strength of mine,” Minter said of calling defenses. “I think that’s one of the reasons I’m sitting here.” It certainly played a factor. After being one of the best defenses in the league in 2023 under then-defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, Baltimore took a big step back each of the past two seasons under first-year coordinator Zach Orr. In particular, the pass defense was leaky and the pass rush ineffective. Other problems persisted, too, from communication to more fundamental skills such as blocking and tackling. Nothing has stood out more, though, than the Ravens’ regression in the postseason, which was the biggest reason Harbaugh was fired. After reaching the AFC championship game after the 2023 season, Baltimore lost in the divisional round of the playoffs the next year and didn’t make the postseason this past season. The Ravens have won just two playoff games over the past five years and worse yet have often not been at their best when the stakes have been at their highest, but the belief is that Minter can help turn that around. It was only a handful of years ago, of course, that he was first on the Ravens’ radar as an assistant in an office that he shared with three other coaches about 30 steps down the hall from the much bigger one he occupies now. When he arrived in Baltimore this time, much of the team’s staff lined the grand foyer and large staircase to welcome him earlier this week. He thanked them, said he was excited about the opportunity but that he’s most looking forward to making it “we” and about “all of us.” He also said that he has a vision of what it will take for the Ravens to get to that next level of winning the franchise’s third Super Bowl title. “I really think building a really cohesive team that all the work that you do leads to being successful in those opportunities, so I think we will create standards that match the goals we want to achieve,” he said. “Our plan will be built on being at our best late in the season, into the playoffs, and I look forward to that challenge.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

We asked readers how they would grade the Ravens’ hire of Jesse Minter. The longtime defensive assistant will be Baltimore’s head coach beginning in the 2026 season. He was most recently the Chargers’ defensive coordinator, spending two seasons in Los Angeles under Jim Harbaugh. Minter also previously worked as an assistant for the Ravens under John Harbaugh, who he now replaces in Baltimore. Here are the results from our online poll: A — 58% (524 votes) B — 26.4% (239 votes) C — 10% (90 votes) F — 3.4% (31 votes) D — 2.2% (20 votes) Here’s what some fans have said about Baltimore’s new head coach (answers have been edited for clarity and grammar): Minter checks all the boxes: Fills a major need (defensive competency), familiarity with the organization, detailed oriented and a leader of men. However, his selection of an offensive coordinator will be critical. — Fran V. Just a terrific hire for the Ravens. A fresh new voice that will demand excellence on both sides of the ball. He is a tireless worker who will improve the defense immediately. He has something to prove and I believe he will make this team better. — Dan Let’s talk about this in two years. Then we should know if this was a good hire. — Robert We need this guy! Ravens have always been built around our defense. — Frank Lowrey Better be good because he will be judged harshly. — Mark McDermott I guess he really likes Harbaugh. Worked with/for one and replaced the other. — Tina Lancaster Good hire. — Christopher Anderson The Baltimore Sun reader poll is an unscientific survey in which website users volunteer their opinions on the subject of the poll. To see results from previous sports polls, go to baltimoresun.com/sportspoll Related Articles Some Ravens players were ‘very helpful’ in choosing Jesse Minter as coach Mike Preston: Ravens’ defense needs fixing. Here comes Jesse Minter. | COMMENTARY Ravens GM Eric DeCosta needed to reimagine Jesse Minter. Then he hired him. Ravens coach Jesse Minter explains vision: Being at best ‘late in the season’ New Ravens coach Jesse Minter not trying to copy John Harbaugh: ‘Own spin’ View the full article

New Ravens coach Jesse Minter faces a challenging task. He is filling the shoes of a man who led a franchise for 18 years, won a Super Bowl and coached the only Ravens era many young Baltimore fans have known. Then again, Minter isn’t trying to be former coach John Harbaugh. “[I want] to take the foundation in place and build on it and make it better and put my own spin on it,” Minter said at Thursday’s introductory news conference. “Not trying to be John Harbaugh, or Jim Harbaugh — being myself.” Minter, 42, became the fourth head coach in Baltimore franchise history after Harbaugh was fired on Jan. 6. He has already seen what Ravens culture looks like from the inside, spending four years in the organization from 2017 to 2020. He worked his way up as a defensive assistant before becoming a defensive backs coach in 2020. General manager Eric DeCosta even joked about the idea of Minter as a head coach now. “I didn’t really ever think of him like that,” DeCosta said, remembering Minter as the assistant who chopped tape on late-round defensive back prospects. But Minter understands what the organization is supposed to look like, and what it has long been built upon. “Physical, tough, relentless, together,” Minter described what his teams will look like. “When people turn on a film, I want them to see a team that’s really well connected, a place for each other. And I think when you do that, when you play like a Raven, you play together. It’s more about everybody that’s out there with you.” Harbaugh, who has since taken a job with the Giants, was among the mentors Minter credited Thursday. First came his father, Rick Minter, who has coached football for over 45 years. Then came the two Harbaugh brothers, shaped by his four years in Baltimore and later working with Jim Harbaugh in both Michigan and Los Angeles. Harbaugh even texted Minter, “I think they should hire you” after being fired himself. “Those three have been very influential on me — all different styles,” Minter said. “I try to take things from all of them that help prepare me to be myself, and I’ll be the best head coach I can be.” Minter also confirmed he plans to call the defense this upcoming season. Harbaugh, who acted as a “CEO” coach, never acted as the team’s primary offensive or defensive play-caller. “I think that’s a strength of mine. I think that’s one of the reasons I’m sitting here,” Minter said. The recent results from his teams give reason for optimism in that approach. The Chargers have held a top 10 scoring defense the past two seasons with him as the play-caller. That followed two years at Michigan conceding 16.1 and 10.4 points per game, the seventh-least and nation’s least, respectively. Baltimore, meanwhile, dropped from the league’s top scoring defense to 18th since the 2023 campaign. The group still contains talent for Minter to work with, even after regression in the past two years. He believes he can get it back to its reputation. “There’s a fundamental level needed required to play great defense,” Minter said. “We will harp on [it] tremendously.” Minter said he still keeps the rejection letters from early in his career, but he’s no longer motivated by proving people wrong. He’s motivated by proving people right. Baltimore is now the biggest test of that shift. Related Articles Some Ravens players were ‘very helpful’ in choosing Jesse Minter as coach Mike Preston: Ravens’ defense needs fixing. Here comes Jesse Minter. | COMMENTARY Ravens GM Eric DeCosta needed to reimagine Jesse Minter. Then he hired him. Ravens coach Jesse Minter explains vision: Being at best ‘late in the season’ READERS RESPOND: Ravens fans grade team’s hire of head coach Jesse Minter He’s inheriting a team with championship expectations, a quarterback he called “elite,” and a defense with pieces like Kyle Hamilton, a “weapon” he wants near the point of attack. He also inherits the weight of continuity, a franchise that has had only four head coaches in its history. If Minter can blend the Ravens’ familiar edge with his own voice and demands, the transition won’t be measured by how different he is from Harbaugh. It’ll be measured by whether the Ravens look “physical, tough, relentless, together.” That’s what has defined the franchise, and what Minter wants to bring back. Have a news tip? Contact Michael Howes at mhowes@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/Mikephowes. View the full article

By JOSH DUBOW Bill Belichick’s reported snub from the Pro Football Hall of Fame after winning a record six Super Bowl titles as a head coach has placed new scrutiny on the process of picking pro football Hall of Famers. While the specific reasons that Belichick didn’t get into the Hall in his first year of eligibility are unknown, there are some possible explanations why at least 11 of the 50 voters didn’t vote for one of the sport’s most accomplished coaches. Belichick’s role in the “Spygate” scandal in 2007 could have had a similar impact on his candidacy that steroids have had in the baseball Hall of Fame at keeping stars such as Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens out of Cooperstown. The rule changes put in place last year by the Hall also could have played a part, including possible frustration from some voters about the decision to eliminate the five-year waiting period for coaches that made Belichick eligible for the ballot after sitting out only one season as an NFL coach. The changes also made it more difficult for anyone — Belichick included — to get into the Hall as evidenced by only four people getting voted in last year for the smallest class in 20 years. Coaches are now competing directly with players in the seniors category instead of being judged on their own. Here’s a look at how the new rules have impacted the voting: How do coaches become finalists? Along with eliminating the five-year waiting period, coaches also were separated from contributors in terms of becoming finalists. A blue-ribbon committee whittles the coaches down to one finalist, with Belichick getting the nod this year. The one coach was grouped with one contributor, which was Patriots owner Robert Kraft, and three seniors players who haven’t played in the past 25 seasons. Ken Anderson, Roger Craig and L.C. Greenwood are the finalists this year. What about the modern era players? The biggest group of finalists comes from the modern era category, with 15 players picked after a process of cutting down nominees started with a screening committee that picks 50 nominees. The full 50-person selection committee cuts that down to 25 semifinalists and then 15 finalists, with any player who made it to the final seven and didn’t get in last year guaranteed a spot in the final 15. Who are the voters? The selection committee consists of 50 voters, with 32 picked as media representatives of each team and the rest consisting of at-large voters, including some Hall of Famers such as Bill Polian, Tony Dungy, Dan Fouts and James Lofton. All the voters got on a video conference earlier this month, with one voter making a presentation and others then allowed to offer their opinions in a debate. The vote is conducted by secret ballot, with the results announced Feb. 5 at “NFL Honors” in San Francisco. How does someone get in? The threshold to get into the Hall is 80% — 40 of the 50 voters — but it’s not as simple as an up-or-down vote. Before the rule changes last year, five modern era finalists were picked to have an up-or-down vote, as well as the senior finalists and any coach or contributor who made it to the final stage. That typically led to five modern era players getting in with most — but not all — of the seniors, coaches and contributors also getting in. Now, it’s much more difficult. The voters will cut down the list of modern era candidates from 15 to 10 and then seven. A final vote will be held for those seven, with each voter allowed to vote for only five players. If some candidates such as Drew Brees and Larry Fitzgerald get wide support, that would leave fewer available votes for any other potential candidates in the final seven to get to 80%. That led to only three modern era players — Eric Allen, Jared Allen and Antonio Gates — getting in last year. It’s a similar process for the seniors, coaches and contributors. Voters can vote for only three of the final finalists, with the top vote-getter and anyone else who gets 80% support getting into the Hall. Sterling Sharpe was the only person to reach that threshold last year from the group of finalists, while players Maxie Baughan and Jim Tyrer, coach Mike Holmgren and contributor Ralph Hay fell short. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL View the full article

The Browns have their next coach, and he comes from AFC North rival Baltimore. Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken has agreed to become Cleveland’s next head coach, a source with direct knowledge confirmed to The Baltimore Sun. He replaces Kevin Stefanski, who was fired earlier this month. At age 59, it is his first NFL head coaching job. The hire also bucks the trend of NFL coaches skewing younger in recent years, but Monken brings plenty of experience and a track record of fielding elite offenses. Baltimore’s offensive coordinator since 2023, he was the architect of what proved to be an explosive and dynamic unit in his first two seasons. Under Monken, quarterback Lamar Jackson posted career highs in passing yards and passing touchdowns in 2024. The year before, in Monken’s first season, Jackson won his second NFL Most Valuable Player Award. Baltimore also in 2024 became the first team in NFL history to top 4,000 yards passing and 3,000 rushing in the same season. That led to Monken getting multiple head coaching interviews. On Wednesday, he finally landed his first job as a head coach. This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. Related Articles New Ravens Boys and Girls Club looks to inspire West Baltimore: ‘Home base’ The making of Jesse Minter: New Ravens coach ‘learned from some of the best’ 5 biggest questions facing new Ravens coach Jesse Minter Who’s left among potential Ravens offensive coordinator candidates? Biff Poggi on working with new Ravens coach Jesse Minter: ‘Full package’ View the full article

Ravens defensive tackle John Jenkins is both indebted and an exemplar of the promise of youth. Raised in Meriden, Connecticut, a rough-around-the-edges working-class city of 60,000 about 20 miles south of Hartford, his mother, Mary Ann Baker, gave birth to him when she was a young teen. “It was tough,” Jenkins said. “Growing up with that, already the odds are against me in a lot of sense. It was extremely tough.” What made childhood easier, though, was the Meriden Boys & Girls Club where he spent the majority of his formative days. It gave him a sense of purpose, Jenkins said. “A lot of kids who grow up in that type of environment, they always try to find a purpose, try to belong somewhere, whether it’s positive or negative,” he said. “The Boys & Girls Club was that for me in a positive way.” When Jenkins wasn’t starring on the football field for Maloney High School, he was at the Boys & Girls Club, where in addition to playing sports and hanging out with friends, a nascent college predatory program helped set him on his path. He spent two seasons at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College before transferring to Georgia, where he earned second-team All-Southeastern Conference honors before being selected by the New Orleans Saints in the third round of the 2013 draft. “That was a big thing, because nobody really knew college where I was from,” he said of the program. “Everybody got through high school through sports, then went to a community college, failed that and ended up working a 9-5.” Thirteen years and seven NFL teams later, Jenkins still relishes being able to play a game even if he doesn’t know how much longer his career will last. What he is certain about, is the role the new Ravens Boys & Girls Club that opened this past October can play for children and teens in West Baltimore and beyond. The project began in earnest when former Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith, his wife Chanel and their nonprofit, LEVEL82, along with former NFL linebacker and Baltimore native Aaron Maybin, breathed life into the old Hilton Recreation Center in 2020. Vacant for more than a decade, they brought mental health and academic services and other activities to the facility. Around the same time and coincidentally, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti reached out to former team president Dick Cass and Ravens vice president of community relations Heather Darney and charged them with finding an after-school space. “He felt like that was just a really important thing,” Darney said. “If we could create a space that kids were excited to come to after school and have their focus be there instead of lots of options they have after school, how cool would it be if we started looking into that.” That’s when the proverbial light bulb went off. With the Ravens already assisting Smith and his efforts, the answer was right in front of them. A $20 million infusion from Biscotti’s foundation, followed by another $16 million raised by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Baltimore, along with a 30-year lease from the city, and, voila. Construction began in June 2024 and 18 months later it is already the largest of the 10 Boys & Girls Clubs in metropolitan Baltimore and one of only a few tied to an NFL team, with the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams being the others with their own clubs. It has already had an immediate impact, too. Neighboring Green Street Academy, founded in 2010, previously had to travel to other areas in the city for its middle and high school games. Now, it uses the Ravens Boys & Girls Club, which has a lighted multipurpose turf field for the charter school and others, a gym designed and funded by Under Armour and christened by NBA star Steph Curry, along with lounges and tutoring spaces, podcasting and dance studios and a game room. “I’ve been in this business 25 years, and I have heard 100 times about the effect that a place like this had on my players — over and over and over again,” Bisciotti said at the facility’s official opening in October. “This type of investment is different,” added team president Sashi Brown. “It’s longitudinal. It’s a deep investment in the community and a commitment from the team.” Related Articles The making of Jesse Minter: New Ravens coach ‘learned from some of the best’ 5 biggest questions facing new Ravens coach Jesse Minter Who’s left among potential Ravens offensive coordinator candidates? Biff Poggi on working with new Ravens coach Jesse Minter: ‘Full package’ Watch Episode 23 of the BMore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law Jenkins is only one example of its power. Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton spent a chunk of his youth at the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Atlanta. Left tackle Ronnie Stanley went to the Boys & Girls Club of Southern Nevada. The list goes on across the NFL and beyond. “It’s another home base for us to feel connected to and we want the community to be connected to,” Darney said. “Now, we’re gonna show up, we’re gonna come back. It makes it easy for players to say ‘Hey, I have a Monday afternoon free, let’s see what’s going on at the club.’” Though the initial conversations around the design of the gleaming complex were to downplay the connection to the Ravens and feature little branding, Boys & Girls Club president and chief executive Jeff Breslin wanted to “flip that on its head” and lean into the natural connection. “The whole goal is when they walk in they feel like they’re part of the flock, part of the team,” he said. “They see themselves in both the players and the general culture that is the Ravens. It’s hard to put that on paper and measure and say, ‘OK it means this for this kid,’ but pride in yourself, pride in your community and feeling like you’re part of something bigger benefits everybody.” So does the airy, light-filled space itself. The design was deliberately different than many of the brick buildings with small windows of the 1960s the Boys & Girls Clubs had previously renovated. “We could have spent less money and done good enough, but that is not the way the Bisciotti’s operate,” Breslin said. “It sends a message to kids that when you walk in here not only are you surrounded by people that care about you but the building and how you feel in that building means a lot, so you deserve natural light, you deserve high-class furniture, you deserve the best technology. The wonder and the spark of what [the kids] can be benefits all of us.” The hope is the region will benefit, too. With more than 800 students just 100 yards away at Green Street Academy and another 2,000 within a one-mile radius, the high density provides for rich opportunities. The surrounding community was also passionate about the project, said Breslin, whose past work includes helping oversee the Under Armour House at Fayette and time at the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, among more than 20 years of youth development and philanthropy. “We see this as a disruptor in a good way, a chance to pilot new programs to bring new partners to the table,” Breslin said. “Certainly sports will be a huge piece of it, but then from there our hope is we can demonstrate the power of when groups of people come together. “You never know what can happen.” Just ask Jenkins as well as those he hopes to help inspire. “You deserve this,” Bisciotti said in October as dozens of kids looked on. “And we’re not going to stop here. We’re taking applications for the next one and the next one and the next one.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. Ravens' owner Steve Bisciotti, left, and former Raven Torrey Smith, take a look at the basketball court at the new Ravens Boys & Girls Club in October. The facility carries special meaning for several Ravens. (Lloyd Fox/Staff) View the full article

A 33-year-old, unemployed Jesse Minter sat across from John Harbaugh. It was 2017. Minter was interviewing for a coaching assistant job in Baltimore. His resume showed six years of defensive coordinator experience piloting turnarounds at Indiana State, then Georgia State. Harbaugh heard all about it from Minter’s father, Rick, who hired the former Ravens coach at University of Cincinnati 20 years earlier. “I know you know how to break down and attack an offense,” Harbaugh told Minter. But he needed to see it for himself. So, he handed Minter a catalog of one NFL team’s offensive film. The assignment: draw up a report on everything he learned, then present to Harbaugh and his staff how he might scheme against it. Be back in three hours. He aced it. The Ravens hired Minter that same day. Nine years and three coaching stops later, Minter returned to Owings Mills, this time in mid-January for a second-round interview to take Harbaugh’s old job after 18 seasons. Owner Steve Bisciotti left the team facility impressed by Minter’s vision while general manager Eric DeCosta lauded his “brilliant football mind and spirit” in a joint statement. The Ravens hired Minter last week to be the fourth coach in franchise history. He’ll be formally introduced Thursday morning. The Baltimore Sun spoke with a dozen people close to Minter, a group of interviewees that includes fellow coaches and current and former players, to understand why Baltimore believes the defensive-minded, first-time head coach is the right person to get the Ravens over the playoff hump. “There’s no doubt in my mind he was destined to be a head coach in the NFL,” said PJ Volker, Navy’s defensive coordinator who rose through the ranks alongside Minter and was a groomsman at his wedding. “He’s ready for this opportunity. I think everybody that’s been around him knew this was gonna happen, it was just a matter of when.” ‘Jesse busted his [butt]’ Minter, 42, was born into football. By his second birthday, Rick had coached at five programs. Jesse was in middle school when Cincinnati hired Rick to be the Bearcats’ head coach. There was a wealth of knowledge at his disposal. The list of assistant coaches who passed through during his tenure is impressive: Harbaugh, Mike Tomlin, Rex Ryan and Jimbo Fisher, to name a few. It’s no surprise that Minter, as a wide receiver at Division III Mount St. Joseph University, approached his craft like a stereotypical coach’s son. He studied the game in ways his teammates wouldn’t. Minter knew his role, but he also took it upon himself to understand assignments for every teammate on both sides of the ball. “They were worried about what they did,” former Mount St. Joseph defensive coordinator Jim Hilvert said, “he wanted to know the whole picture.” So, when he graduated in 2005, he was ready to jump right into coaching, first as a Notre Dame defensive intern, then two seasons as a graduate assistant at Cincinnati. Both roles were a byproduct of Rick’s connections. Dad helped get his foot in the door, but Minter has earned his keep at every step. “He didn’t come up with a silver spoon thinking he knew everything,” said Notre Dame senior analyst Trent Miles, who hired Minter at Indiana State and then brought him to Georgia State. “Jesse busted his [butt] and learned and studied. He learned from some of the best. I think it shows.” When Minter joined Miles’ staff, arriving in Terre Haute in 2009, the Sycamores were buried beneath the nation’s longest losing streak. They hadn’t won a game in three years. If Minter wanted to establish credibility, he would have to build it one install at a time, developing key relationships along the way. “It was arguably the worst program in college football at the time,” Miles said. “We didn’t have it easy. He had to bust his tail in recruiting. He has great relationships with players.” Minter’s mentees still recall a young coach learning how to command a room, still shaping the language and structure of his defense. Ahead of Minter’s second season, his father, Rick, joined the staff, accelerating his son’s growth and sharpening his confidence. Former Indiana State linebacker Dillon Painter still has the playbook from those years, a large binder that he and his teammates jokingly label, “Minter’s original bible.” “It was like this big puzzle,” Painter said. “Every single person, if they did what they were coached to do based on what they were seeing, it ended up being an extremely successful play. Coach Minter has this ability to put people in positions to be successful and he utilizes, obviously there’s 11 guys on the field, but with him, it’s about depth. “We were almost like chess pieces, and he was constantly able to put us in the right positions to be successful.” By Minter’s third and fourth seasons, Indiana State evolved into one of the Missouri Valley Football Conference’s top defenses, punctuated by a stunning October 2012 road win over North Dakota State, an FCS powerhouse that hadn’t lost at home in three years. Minter’s defense recorded three takeaways, including two interceptions returned for touchdowns. “To be quite honest, on our flight home, we all knew, there’s no way this staff is staying,” Painter said. “That was the pinnacle for that staff … No one said it out loud, but we all knew Coach Minter was destined for much greater heights.” As they expected, Miles was hired from Indiana State to Georgia State. He brought most of his staff with him. Minter didn’t copy-paste what worked at Indiana State and implement it at Georgia State. Minter “started from ground zero and built a defense that could stifle opponents in the Sun Belt [Conference].” Volker said. By 2015, he was responsible for the most improved defense in the Football Bowl Subdivision. He was nominated for the Broyles Award, which recognizes the nation’s top assistant coach. The following year, though, Georgia State won two games and Miles was fired. So went Minter. He later called it “one of the best things that ever happened” in his career. Minter landed in Baltimore the ensuing season, working under defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale and linebackers coach Mike Macdonald. Together, they rewrote Baltimore’s defense by diagramming unique pass rush plans and non-traditional zone coverages. It produced back-to-back AFC North titles (2018 and 2019). Jesse Minter helped lead Michigan to a national championship as the Wolverines' defensive coordinator. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) Jim Harbaugh came calling in 2022. He hired Minter to be Michigan’s DC, inheriting a foundation from his predecessor Macdonald and attempting to evolve it into something even more minacious. Ravens wide receiver Cornelius Johnson, who played at Michigan from 2019 to 2023, felt the Minter experience every day in practice. “He would switch a lot, experiment and counter in real time,” Johnson said. “If something was working earlier, he’d flip it. Different disguises, different blitzes. It was always competitive.” Michigan’s defense under Minter leaned heavily into nickel and dime personnel, often flooding the field with physical defensive backs or forcing offenses to process information and puzzling personnel presnap. Similar to Indiana State’s upset victory over North Dakota State, Minter’s Wolverines defense again recorded a signature win: a 26-0 shutout of Iowa in the 2023 Big Ten championship game. Michigan’s statement victory, which secured them a coveted spot in the then-four team College Football Playoff, featured three takeaways and four sacks from Minter’s unit. “We shut them down completely, Iowa had absolutely nothing going,” Johnson said. “That’s one of his staple games. We don’t win those championships without Coach Minter.” Amid the celebratory locker room scene, Harbaugh awarded a game ball to Minter. Michigan would go on to complete their perfect season with a win over Washington and star quarterback Michael Penix Jr. in the national championship game, but this moment marked something deeper than a schematic triumph. For Minter, it was the culmination of years spent refining ideas, absorbing failure, and learning how to teach with purpose. A great teacher and motivator Minter once described his first stint in Baltimore like “four years of going to master’s level classes.” After the 2020 season, Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea invited Minter to Nashville, essentially to pitch his thesis. Lea was curious how Minter helped revamp the Ravens’ defense. Interviewing Minter to be Vanderbilt’s defensive coordinator, Lea pressed the rising star on his coaching philosophies. How might that translate to a collaborative environment back at the college level? Did Minter have an ego needing to be coat-checked? Lea left thinking, “He’s the kind of guy the coaching profession needs right now.” Related Articles New Ravens Boys and Girls Club looks to inspire West Baltimore: ‘Home base’ 5 biggest questions facing new Ravens coach Jesse Minter Who’s left among potential Ravens offensive coordinator candidates? Biff Poggi on working with new Ravens coach Jesse Minter: ‘Full package’ Watch Episode 23 of the BMore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law Lea saw what many of Minter’s former players and fellow coaches did: an inexorable passion for football problem solving mixed with emotional intelligence to articulate his plans in a way players gravitate toward. That manifests in meeting rooms and in the way Minter delegates work to his staff and the collaborative nature of his defense. Volker called his friend a “great listener.” Miles said he’s “like a bright light walking into the room.” Harold Etheridge witnessed that up close across nearly a decade, working alongside Minter as opposing coordinators at Indiana State and Georgia State. “Jesse’s a players-type coach,” said Etheridge, now an offensive line coach at Illinois State. “He’s energetic. He’s detailed. Guys love playing for him because he’s going to get the best out of you. He’s not an arrogant guy. Coaching is all about trust, they’ve got to trust you, you’ve got to trust them. Jesse’s a great teacher and motivator.” Similar to his study habits as a player, Minter encourages his players to understand the entire system, not just their particular assignment. He’s built a reputation of dissecting defense through the lens of an offense. “He made us all more cerebral,” Painter said. “It wasn’t just, ‘do your job.’ It was understanding why? Understanding the whole picture. “He made intentional efforts developing relationships with everyone in the building,” Johnson said. “Not just defense.” ‘It doesn’t surprise anyone’ In 2017, John Harbaugh handed Minter a stack of offensive film with three hours to prove himself. Nearly a decade later, the assignment is far larger. Minter is tasked with leading a locker room that features a two-time NFL Most Valuable Player in Lamar Jackson and a defensive unit that’s strayed from its longtime franchise identity. Before Minter was named Baltimore’s fourth head coach, a successor to his former boss and the franchise’s winningest coach, people who’ve shared meeting rooms and practice fields with him say he prepared his whole life for this new title. “To remember all of this that vividly years later, clearly Coach Minter had an impact on me as a defensive football player,” Painter said. “No one that you’ll talk to who’s ever been around him is surprised by him now being the head football coach of an NFL franchise.” Starting Thursday morning, back in Owings Mills, that sterling reputation meets immediate championship expectations. Can he deliver? Have a news tip? Contact Josh Tolentino at jtolentino@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200, x.com/JCTSports and instagram.com/JCTSports. Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn.x.com. View the full article