There’s no questioning the importance of having a good head coach and quarterback combination in the NFL. While the Baltimore Ravens have come up short of their championship aspirations in recent years, they’ve continued to be one of the league’s most successful regular season teams since 2018.
At the forefront of their success during this span is John Harbaugh and Lamar Jackson. According to Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame, the Ravens have the second-best head coach/quarterback duo in the NFL today. Verderame recently ranked Harbaugh-Jackson No. 2 in SI’s list of the Top 32 duos for 2025.
They ranked in the same No. 2 spot in last year’s list from Sports Illustrated, again trailing only Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs.
“The Ravens eventually have to win a Super Bowl during this era of their history to be remembered as having reached their full potential, but there’s no denying Jackson’s excellence” Verderame wrote. “The two-time MVP and three-time All-Pro was magnificent in 2024 . . . Jackson is already a Hall of Famer, but a ring would put him in the upper crust of greats.
As Verderame notes, the Ravens have yet to reach their full potential of winning a Super Bowl in the Jackson era. Their continued winning ways in the regular season has upped the standard so much that anything short of a championship is a diminished achievement.
Nevertheless, Harbaugh and Jackson undoubtedly are still a premier duo in the landscape of the league. Harbaugh has long been considered a top-half head coach even before Jackson’s arrival, but the latter has elevated them as a combination to elite status.
Jackson reached a new apex of performance in 2024 with a historic season. While he wasn’t awarded with league MVP honors, he was named first-team All-Pro after totaling 45 total touchdowns with just four interceptions and over 5,000 combined passing and rushing yards. Like Verderame wrote, Jackson is only a Super Bowl trophy away from entering a new category of all-time greats at quarterback.
The Ravens have won 67% of their regular season games since 2018 (78-38) but are just 3-5 in the postseason, although one of those losses came without Jackson active. Despite having a talented roster and coaching staff during these years, particularly over the past two seasons, the Ravens have struggled to get over the hump in big moments.
Heading into 2025, the Ravens are returning their main core on both sides of the ball and coaching staff from last season. They added some notable pieces in the offseason as well and are reloaded for another bite at the apple to get over the hump come this January.
Do you think Harbaugh and Jackson are the second-best duo in the NFL or should be ranked higher or lower? Share your thoughts below and join in on the conversation!