Ravens HC Jesse Minter Has Quickly Won Over Players — Now He Must Win Games

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Nobody really thought John Harbaugh deserved to be fired in Baltimore. He had been there for 18 mostly successful seasons, and even the 8-9 disappointment last year was largely because his superstar quarterback got hurt.

So when owner Steve Bisciotti did it anyway, and replaced him with Jesse Minter, a 43-year-old first-time head coach, there were definitely shock waves felt in the Ravens locker room. And there were some skeptical players who needed to be convinced that this unexpected switch was going to be good.

"Yeah, but I think he did it in his first team meeting," second-year safety Malaki Starks told me after practice Thursday. "He came in and set his expectations and his standards. He didn’t come in with a big chest saying ‘I’m the guy.’ He also didn’t come in not talking at all. He came in authentic to himself.

"And we could see he’s an easy man to follow."

The Ravens better hope that’s true, and that Minter is really up to the task, because no first-year coach has more pressure on him in 2026 than he does. Minter, the former Chargers defensive coordinator, inherited a loaded team, with an MVP-winning quarterback, and more than enough talent to make a real run at Super Bowl LXI. 

It’s not often that a first-time coach gets to take over a team this good, with super high expectations.

All he has to do is not screw it up.

"Yeah, but I think the confidence that he has in himself allowed him to really come in and be himself," Starks told me. "He came in knowing that the team that he has, and he can handle it. That’s who he is and who he wants to be. 

"And we all have confidence in his ability."

So far, the early reviews on Minter are good. As a former Harbaugh assistant (2017-20), he didn’t come in and rip up the foundation that his predecessor had established over the better part of two decades. He just put his own twists and personality on it. Minter told the players on the first day that his door was open, and he welcomed their input. He shortened the practices a bit from the marathon sessions Harbaugh used to run.

But mostly, he worked hard every day and eventually convinced them that there’s a reason he got this job.

"He’s the definition of a leader, to a T," Starks told me. "And he’s super smart."

Jesse Minter is intimately familiar with the Ravens, if not head coaching. The question now is, how fast can he speed up the HC learning curve for a team primed to win now? (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)

The defense, in particular, is counting on that "super smart" part. That was the most disappointing thing about last year’s Ravens. They ranked 24th in total defense and 28th in sacks. It’s not solely why Baltimore missed the postseason for the first time in four years, but it definitely was part of the collapse.

Minter, who coached the Ravens defensive backs in 2019-20 and will call the defensive plays this year, directed one of the NFL's best defenses the past two seasons with the Chargers, who'd been one of the worst in 2023. He brings instant credibility to that side of the ball with his new players, simply on the strength of his résumé. But it didn’t take long for them to understand why his system has succeeded.

"I think the biggest thing is it's set up to make plays," Starks told me. "Attack the ball, fly around, and play as a unit. I think we’re going to thrive in that. I really do. Guys are really buying into it."

So far, the Ravens are buying into everything Minter is selling them, which is easy considering they haven’t even played a preseason game yet. The real proof will come in the months ahead, when they’ll really find out if their new coach is capable of making that leap. Because he certainly has the right team to make a big impact in his first season.

It’s rare that a coach is the team’s biggest question mark. But the Ravens seem convinced that Minter is the right answer, too.

• Thursday's practice was a good reminder of how good Lamar Jackson is when he’s healthy. Unofficially, he completed 12 of 13 passes in team drills, and the one incompletion, I’m pretty sure, was a drop. He was right on the money on almost every throw, regardless of distance. That included a 50-yarder that dropped right into the hands of WR Rashod Bateman. Jackson throws the ball so hard, and it has the same zip when he’s on the run and outside the pocket. Really, even his deep throws look just effortless. If he’s healthy, pencil him in near the top of the MVP race.
• If Minter really is the defensive whiz everyone thinks he is, then he might be just the guy to unleash Trey Hendrickson, who signed a four-year, $112 million deal with Baltimore in March. The Ravens desperately need pass-rush help. They had just 30 team sacks last season and no one with more than five. Hendrickson had four sacks through seven games last season before a hip injury ended his final year in Cincinnati. He, of course, had 17.5 sacks in each of the previous two seasons. Minter needs to turn him loose and get him back to that level, even though he’ll be 32 in December. If he does, the Ravens defense could be scary.
• If you’re looking for a deep sleeper in your fantasy league, keep an eye on rookie WR Ja’Kobi Lane, the Ravens’ third-round pick. The USC product had an excellent practice Wednesday, using his speed to get open and his size (6-4, 205) to out-muscle defenders. The Ravens aren’t exactly deep at receiver, and Bateman, the No. 2 WR, has been a perennial disappointment. Right now, Lane is battling for the No. 3 job, but I’m told he’s been outstanding all summer long, and if he keeps playing like this, his ceiling could be high. Maybe that won’t happen at the start of the season. But keep an eye on him as it goes along.

Lamar Jackson is healthy and he has at least one new weapon to play with in rookie wideout Ja'Kobi Lane. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

Player To Watch: RB Derrick Henry

 

Derrick Henry is a big man. I know, that’s not a revelation. He’s 6-foot-3, 252 pounds. But he looks bigger in person, and he must look like a freight train to defenders when he gets moving. He's 32 years old now and, between high school, college and the NFL, has tallied more than 4,600 carries. Yet, there’s still no running back I would fear more if I played defense. "He’s a big man," Starks told me. "Just the things he’s able to do at his size and how valuable he is to this team doesn’t get talked about enough. I’m grateful I don’t have to see him on Sundays." If Henry is healthy all season, the Ravens rushing attack should again be unstoppable. And it’s a decent bet he’ll be healthy, since he’s missed just 12 games in his 10-year career — nine of which came in the 2021 season. The guy is just a marvel and one of the greatest running backs in the history of the game.

"Lamar Jackson is aging like fine wine."

— Ravens QBs coach Israel Woolfork

A Super Bowl Contender Once Again

That’s nothing new for a franchise that has had double-digit wins in six of the past eight seasons, but it is a little odd for a team coming off a coaching change. Minter landed in the best spot of any new coach, though, because he inherited a powerhouse. He has an All-Pro QB and RB, an elite receiver in Zay Flowers and an elite pass-rusher in Hendrickson.

Considering the rest of the supporting cast is pretty good, too, that should be more than enough. They have to stay healthy, of course. If Jackson or Henry go down, their outlook changes. Same, to an extent, for Flowers, since he’s their only reliable wideout. And Minter, known for his defensive wizardry, does need to fix a defense that struggled last year.

But all the pieces are right there for the Ravens to win 10-plus games, even in what could be a much more competitive AFC North. And if the 1-2 punch of Jackson and Henry get rolling in the playoffs, the Ravens could make a deep run.

I'm now headed to Latrobe, Pa., home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the birthplace of Rolling Rock beer, the banana split and Mr. Rogers (Fred, not Aaron).

(Actually, I’m going home first before making the six-hour trek across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on Saturday, so I can be at St. Vincent College for Steelers practice on Sunday morning.)

You can learn a lot while driving across Pennsylvania if you take time to read the many billboards. For example, you learn that God has a phone number, and you are heavily encouraged to call Him if you are addicted to gambling or porn. You also learn that you can get almost anything made out of sheep skin. And you learn that even though the state (excuse me, the Commonwealth) is 300 miles long, a personal injury lawyer is never very far away. 

Once I do get there, I’m looking forward to seeing what Mr. Rodgers (Aaron) has left in his 42-year-old right arm. At this point, you have to see him as much as possible before Father Time completely catches up. I’ve never been to Latrobe, but Pittsburgh is one of the most underrated cities in America. And PNC Park is the best ballpark west of CitiField. So, if you see me there for Red Sox-Pirates this weekend, please don’t tell my boss.