Albert Breer’s Mailbag: How John Harbaugh’s Firing Could Impact Lamar Jackson

The quarterback may have leverage if he signs a new deal with the Ravens. Plus, how the 2026 QB class stacks up and coaching news from around the league.

Lamar Jackson struggled with injuries in 2025, leading the Ravens to an 8–9 record. / Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

Jump to a topic

1. Baltimore Ravens 
2. Coaching carousel
3. Atlanta Falcons
4. Cincinnati Bengals
5. New York Jets 
6. Arch Manning
7. 2026 QB Class
8. Dallas Cowboys
9. Las Vegas Raiders
10. Atlanta Falcons
11. Miami Dolphins
12. Arizona Cardinals

We’re gonna fire through the questions in this week’s NFL mailbag because of everything that’s going on, from the coaching carousel to the wild-card round set to kick off. Let’s go!

Baltimore Ravens 

From Tom Marshall (@aredzonauk): With Harbaugh gone, does Lamar Jackson hold the leverage over the Ravens for his next contract?

Tom, this is a fascinating situation. The majority of the $52 million ($29 million) that Jackson is owed in 2026 is already guaranteed. None of the $52 million he’s owed in ’27 is, though. And if the contract’s not amended, it’s fair to wonder how careful Jackson and the team will be with his injuries. There have been three seasons in which the team’s attempt to re-up Jackson after injury failed (’21, ’22 and ’25). He missed five, five, and four games, respectively, those years.

Then, there’s the fact that a new coach is likely to want a good relationship with the quarterback, and a new contract would help show Jackson that the Ravens are committed to him as their quarterback for the foreseeable future.

On the flip side, if things are bumpy, it’s fair to reason that interested teams would at least inquire about the availability of Jackson. But the far more likely outcome, depending on who the new coach is, is that Jackson does a new deal this offseason. And you’re right to think players in his spot—with a new coach installed ahead of a negotiation—usually have leverage.

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Coaching carousel

From Tyvonte (@tes3la): Why don’t more owners and GMs seriously consider special teams coordinators as head coaches? They manage both sides of the ball, handle situational football, and oversee full units—similar to what John Harbaugh did in Baltimore. Why is that coaching tree still so overlooked?

Ty, I think it’s because owners really do care about the PR of this stuff, and winning the press conference, and it’s tougher to do that with a special teams coach. The Giants tried it with Joe Judge. There was a thought for some time that long-time Kansas City special teams coordinator Dave Toub could get a shot, and that never happened. And I think because of that history, you do have more good young special teams coaches trying to move to offense or defense, which obviously affects the pool.

But you’re right, there are a lot of reasons to look at special teams coaches closer for head coach jobs. They touch every part of the roster. They have to have the big picture in mind at all times and are intimately involved in game management. If you want more of a look at the benefits of hiring a guy with a special teams background, check out my Harbaugh story from Tuesday night.

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Atlanta Falcons

From Fringetastic (@Frngtstc): What are Matt Ryan’s qualifications for the position with the Falcons?

Fringe, I’d say his qualifications are his baseline knowledge of football, the bird's-eye view he’s gained of the league since walking away three years ago, leadership qualities and intelligence demonstrated over his 15-year career, and his institutional knowledge of the franchise. The question from there is about how motivated Ryan is to learn what he doesn’t know, and I think he’ll be plenty motivated.

John Elway is a good example. Elway ran an Arena League franchise before returning to the Broncos as an executive in 2011, but he still had a ways to go in evaluating players and building an NFL team. And in those early days, Elway showed he knew what he didn’t know, and dove in on learning how to scout and assemble a roster, and manage a football operation. Not every ex-player can do it as Elway did. Ryan has the potential.

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Cincinnati Bengals

From johannes (@jo_rbe): How high are NFL teams on Dan Pitcher?

Johannes, the Bengals’ offensive coordinator is very well-respected. However, I don’t know if this is the cycle that he gets a shot. He’s had only two years’ experience as coordinator, and isn’t calling plays. But if the Bengals bounce back next year, I think he’ll be in the mix.

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New York Jets 

From Nick Lovera (@NickJLovera): What are options for the Jets at QB if Dante Moore stays at Oregon?

Nick, as it stands right now, if Moore returns to Oregon, I think there’s a good chance that Fernando Mendoza is the only quarterback to go in the top half of the first round. So if the Raiders took Mendoza, you’d either be looking at a bridge quarterback, such as a Kirk Cousins, or perhaps a reclamation-type single-caller such as Kyler Murray.

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Arch Manning

From Anchor Manning (@AnchorManning): Why is my nephew Archie the greatest college QB ever, and how many Super Bowls will he win?

Anchor, Arch isn’t there yet. But from what I saw, he has improved over the course of the year. And if his last name wasn’t Manning, and he was a high-end prospect getting through his first year as a starter, people would be excited about his progress. Instead, the bar was set at the No. 1 pick in the draft, and when he didn’t clear it fast enough, a lot of folks dismissed him.

He has a ton of potential, and I’m excited to see where he takes things next year.

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2026 QB Class

From johnwinger (@johnwinger98524): Put the 2026 QB class in perspective. Where would Mendoza, Moore and Ty Simpson rank with last year’s class and 2024.

John, I would guess that Mendoza or Moore would be slotted after Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye, and probably just ahead of Michael Penix Jr. I view Simpson a little differently. He doesn’t have all the measureables, and his play wasn’t quite the same down the stretch, so I’m not positive where he lands. But I’m not sure I see a world where he has a chance to go ahead of Mendoza or Moore.

(Admittedly, I have a long way to go, and a lot of calls to make on this stuff before the draft.)

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Dallas Cowboys

From Mike (@CoachMikeB23): What names have you heard are in the mix for the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator job? Who do you think is most likely to get that job? What is the candidate profile the Cowboys are looking for?

Mike, I think they kick tires on Brian Flores and maybe Matt Patricia. Brian Schottenheimer’s dealt with the Patriot family of defenses plenty over the years. The availability of Raheem Morris and Jeff Ulbrich is intriguing as well, considering their ties to Dan Quinn.

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Las Vegas Raiders

From winkusthegreat (@TylerGreennnn): Who is the leader for the Raiders’ HC job?

Winkus, there’s no leader yet. But I do think alignment will be at the top of the list in finding a candidate, so that person is going to have to line up not just with Tom Brady’s vision for the franchise, but with GM John Spytek and his personnel department. One easy connection to make for both of them is through their shared alma mater, Michigan, and the defensive coordinator who led that school to a title, Chargers DC Jesse Minter. Another is pulling on those same connections to land John Harbaugh.

Outside of those guys, it’s tough to find natural fits. Spytek and Brady were both last in Tampa, where offensive coordinators Dave Canales and Liam Coen were poached the past two offseasons. So, I think one of them will likely be pretty wide open.

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Atlanta Falcons

From WindyCityWarRoomHop (@HopLegion): Do you think Ian Cunningham and John Harbaugh could be a match in Atlanta? Cunningham spent nearly a decade in Baltimore under Newsome, and it could be a good match. Of course, Cunningham, through Poles, also has a connection with Matt Ryan, so he could line up.

Windy City, that’s not a bad thought. I’m not positive that Harbaugh would go to a team that’s set up that way. Maybe he would. I’m just a little skeptical, given the options that will be out there for him. The Cunningham connection is a good one, though.

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Miami Dolphins

From #1 FIN Fan (@EliteMarino): Does John Harbaugh to Miami have a real possibility?

Fin, Stephen Ross has a relationship with the family, and mulled, at one time, making a hard run at Harbaugh when he was negotiating a new contract in Baltimore. His deal got done with the Ravens, so nothing came of it, but it was another sign of Ross’s affection for the Harbaugh family (he also made a much-publicized run at Jim in 2011).

But the one interesting twist here: The Dolphins put in interview requests for their first six GM candidates on Monday, all of whom have connections to Mike McDaniel, in one way or another. Then, Tuesday morning, they sent the Chargers a request to interview their assistant GM, Chad Alexander, who was with Harbaugh for 11 years, and spent the past two with Jim. Why did the Dolphins wait the extra day to send that one? Did they have an inkling that the landscape might be about to change? It’s interesting, at the very least.

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Arizona Cardinals

From Zeze (@MHJxNolen): Any ideas on what the Cardinals are looking for in a HC? Could previous relationships/NFC West be a factor? (Flores, Joseph, Saleh, Kubiak?)

From K1SinceDay1 (@KSzn2021): What is your guess for who lands the Cardinals’ HC job? Also who do you believe lands Kyler Murray?

Right now, guys, the Cardinals are wide open. My sense is they’ll want a strong leader. Robert Saleh would check that box. Flores, who had his first head coach interview there in 2018 and knocked it out of the park, I think, is competent in that area, too. But they’re going into this without any big preconceived notions.

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