John Harbaugh Rips Ravens' QB Play vs. Colts

The Baltimore Ravens' quarterback play against the Indianapolis Colts was far less than ideal. Head coach John Harbaugh is still shocked by the lack of production.

Ravens backup quarterbacks Cooper Rush and Devin Leary threw for a combined 59 yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions in the team's 24-16 win, and Harbaugh had some choice words for the two.

“How many chances did [the receivers] have to catch passes? You can evaluate blocking and you can evaluate the route running,” Harbaugh said. “It’s kind of shocking to throw for that few yards, so hoping we never see that again.”

HC John Harbaugh on the #Ravens QB play vs. the #Colts:

“How many chances did they have to catch passes? You can evaluate blocking and you can evaluate the route running. … It’s kind of shocking to throw for that few yards, so hoping we never see that again.” pic.twitter.com/UKRZtP3Rqc
— Aaron Becker (@Aaron_M_Becker) August 9, 2025

The Ravens are hoping they won't need to rely on either player during the 2025 season, but that could change if two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson were to miss any time.

Rush just joined Baltimore on a two-year, $6.2 million deal this offseason. In his first action in a Ravens uniform, he completed two of his four passes for 16 yards and an interception.

Baltimore Ravens Quarterback Cooper Rush — Aug 7, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Cooper Rush (15) awaits the snap against the Indianapolis Colts during the first quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

Harbaugh is far less down on Rush than Leary, though.

“Cooper didn’t have too many chances to do much, so I’m not down on Cooper,” Harbaugh added. “Devin just didn’t have a good day. He’ll be the first to tell you that. Got to bounce back.”

#Ravens HC John Harbaugh adds he’s less down on backup QB Cooper Rush than Devin Leary:

“Cooper didn’t have too many chances to do much, so I’m not down on Cooper. … Devin just didn’t have a good day. He’ll be the first to tell you that. Got to bounce back.” pic.twitter.com/07cJvVbb2m
— Aaron Becker (@Aaron_M_Becker) August 9, 2025

Leary, on the other hand, completed just three of his 12 passes for 43 yards and one interception. The 2024 sixth-round pick out of Kentucky struggled last preseason, too.

Most notably, he completed just six of 13 passes for 34 yards and two interceptions ina 30-7 loss to the Green Bay Packers. That erased any chance he had of making the roster, and now he finds himself in a very similar situation this year.

However, both players don't have long to think about their first, poor outing of the preseason with a road matchup against the Dallas Cowboys this week.

It will be another opportunity to prove to the Ravens that they deserve to backup Jackson in 2025, but if their woes continue, it may force the team to look elsewhere.

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