The Baltimore Ravens held a press conference Tuesday afternoon to introduce offensive coordinator Todd Monken.
When speaking to reporters, Monken said he hasn’t had the opportunity to talk to any players yet. Via ESPN’s Jamison Hensley, Monken said he’s “just trying to get my feet wet” in his new position.
It’s February, and the Ravens hired Monken last week. He hardly neglected any responsibilities by not immediately getting familiar with the team.
However, some reporters and fans read into the admission because that also means he hasn’t met with Lamar Jackson. Head coach Jim Harbaugh said he’d involve the free-agent quarterback in the hiring process, so fans are disappointed by this development.
“‘“Lamar will be involved in the hiring,'” a fan recalled Harbaugh saying.”
“Now just because [Jackson] hasn’t directly spoken to Monken doesn’t mean he wasn’t involved, but I’d be lying if I didn’t feel a lot of rage,” a fan said.
“Part of me doesn’t want to overreact because it’s only been a week since he was hired,” a fan wrote. “Part of me wants to overreact because we need this offense to be firing on all cylinders this season.”
“More cryptic Lamar drama,” a fan said. “Bring on March 7th!”
CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones said Baltimore “did not fully integrate” Jackson into the process. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean he had no role at all.
Monken would clearly like working with Jackson. The former Georgia offensive coordinator called the MVP “amazing” and an “underrated” passer.
“[Jackson] has an elite skill set,” Monken said. “It’s obvious when you watch it on film.”