If we’re picking between Harbaugh and Lamar? Who stays, who goes? And what does Steve think?

We’re not at the Black Monday stage of the NFL’s open season on hiring and firing but the Baltimore Ravens and owner Steve Bisciotti along with general manager Eric DeCosta might find next week to be the ugliest week of a long and tiring season. Luke Jones and Nestor discuss the latest dust-up in the organization where the head coach has blown a lot of leads and an oft-injured, two-time MVP quarterback will need a contract renegotiation this winter. Is change coming in Owings Mills?

Nestor Aparicio and Luke Jones discussed the potential end of Lamar Jackson’s tenure with the Baltimore Ravens amidst reports of tension with head coach John Harbaugh. They highlighted the team’s disappointing season, Lamar’s doubtful status for the upcoming game against Green Bay, and the Packers’ own quarterback issues. They debated the feasibility of trading Lamar, noting his $65 million contract and recent performance. They also speculated on the future of John Harbaugh, suggesting he might be open to a new role within the organization. The conversation concluded with a focus on the Ravens’ playoff chances and the potential impact of these changes on ticket sales and fan engagement.

• [ ] @Nestor Aparicio – Deliver any breaking news about the Ravens franchise first to WNST listeners and report it on-air and via station channels as it occurs (assure priority coverage).
• [ ] @Nestor Aparicio – Schedule and hold a follow-up discussion about Ravens football on Monday (postgame/offseason topics to be covered).
• [ ] @Nestor Aparicio – Contact Chad Steele to ask about brand management and ticket-sales perspective related to player and team developments.
• [ ] Gather with co-hosts and commentators immediately after the Saturday game to review game outcomes and discuss implications for the team.

Lamar Jackson’s Doubtful Status and Media Speculation

• Nestor Aparicio and Luke Jones discuss the uncertainty surrounding Lamar Jackson’s availability for the upcoming game against Green Bay.
• Nestor mentions the media speculation about Lamar’s future with the Ravens, including a story by Mike Preston.
• Luke Jones reiterates the disappointing season for the Ravens and the organization’s struggles.
• Nestor highlights the historical trend of the Ravens losing the last game of the year and the blame being distributed among various coordinators and players.

Potential Playoff Scenarios and Team Performance

• Luke Jones outlines the potential playoff scenarios for the Ravens, including the Packers’ situation and the Browns’ chances against the Steelers.
• Nestor expresses confidence in the Ravens’ ability to win on Saturday night despite the challenges.
• Luke Jones mentions the recent history of the Browns beating the Steelers in Cleveland.
• Nestor suggests the Ravens should run the ball more effectively, referencing Derek Henry.

Trading Lamar Jackson: Implications and Challenges

• Luke Jones argues that trading Lamar Jackson is not a viable plan and would be seen as giving up.
• Nestor questions the feasibility of winning with Lamar Jackson, given the team’s performance and the owner’s potential reluctance to invest further in him.
• Luke Jones emphasizes the need for a clear plan if the Ravens decide to move on from Lamar Jackson.
• Nestor discusses the potential impact on ticket sales and fan engagement if Lamar Jackson is traded.

John Harbaugh’s Future and Team Dynamics

• Nestor and Luke Jones speculate on John Harbaugh’s future with the Ravens, considering his long tenure and recent team performance.
• Luke Jones suggests that John Harbaugh might be open to a new role within the organization if he decides to step down as head coach.
• Nestor highlights the potential for a shakeup within the organization, including the possibility of John Harbaugh coaching elsewhere.
• Luke Jones discusses the challenges of finding a new head coach and the potential impact on the team’s stability.

Eric DeCosta’s Role and Team Leadership

• Nestor and Luke Jones discuss Eric DeCosta’s position within the organization and his potential involvement in coaching decisions.
• Luke Jones compares Eric DeCosta’s age and experience to other general managers in the league.
• Nestor highlights the special relationship between Eric DeCosta and John Harbaugh, which could complicate any changes in leadership.
• Luke Jones suggests that Eric DeCosta might be seen as a safe option amidst potential coaching changes.

Lamar Jackson’s Performance and Future

• Luke Jones acknowledges Lamar Jackson’s past successes and questions his current performance and future prospects.
• Nestor discusses the challenges Lamar Jackson faces, including his running style and the team’s ability to support him.
• Luke Jones emphasizes the need for Lamar Jackson to make adjustments to maintain his performance as he ages.
• Nestor highlights the potential for Lamar Jackson to be traded to another team, such as the Dolphins, if the Ravens decide to move on from him.

Team Accountability and Future Plans

• Nestor and Luke Jones discuss the accountability within the organization, including the potential for changes in coaching and leadership.
• Luke Jones suggests that the team might need to find a new franchise quarterback if they decide to move on from Lamar Jackson.
• Nestor highlights the challenges of finding a suitable replacement for Lamar Jackson and the potential impact on the team’s future.
• Luke Jones emphasizes the need for a clear plan and strategy if the Ravens decide to make significant changes to their leadership and roster.

Impact of Ownership and Financial Considerations

• Nestor and Luke Jones discuss the role of Steve Bisciotti in the potential changes within the organization.
• Luke Jones suggests that Steve Bisciotti might be reluctant to make drastic changes, given the financial implications and his long-term relationship with John Harbaugh.
• Nestor highlights the potential for Steve Bisciotti to sell the team, which could complicate any decisions about coaching and leadership.
• Luke Jones emphasizes the need for a balanced approach, considering both the financial and football aspects of the organization.

Media Speculation and Public Perception

• Nestor and Luke Jones discuss the impact of media speculation on the team’s dynamics and public perception.
• Luke Jones highlights the importance of managing public expectations and maintaining stability within the organization.
• Nestor discusses the potential for media coverage to influence decisions and the need for clear communication from the team.
• Luke Jones emphasizes the need for the organization to present a unified front and manage public perception effectively.

Final Thoughts and Predictions for the Season

• Nestor and Luke Jones discuss their final thoughts on the season and the potential outcomes for the team.
• Luke Jones expresses skepticism about the Ravens’ chances of winning without Lamar Jackson, given the current circumstances.
• Nestor highlights the importance of the upcoming game against Green Bay and its impact on the team’s future.
• Luke Jones emphasizes the need for the team to perform well in the remaining games to maintain some level of momentum and stability.

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

Lamar Jackson, John Harbaugh, Ravens season, playoff chances, quarterback controversy, contract issues, team performance, coaching future, franchise quarterback, offseason plans, ticket sales, organizational changes, player maturity, injury concerns, future outlook.

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SPEAKERS

Speaker 1, Nestor Aparicio, Luke Jones

Nestor Aparicio  00:01

Welcome home. Happy Christmas. Merry Christmas. Happy New Year. We are Baltimore, positive W N, S T. Am 1570 Towson, Baltimore. It’s all brought to you by our friends, and it’s nothing says leftovers from Santa quite like the candy cane cash tickets. I don’t know when I’m going to give these out. I have a handful of these left. I was at Costas last week. I was at Planet Fitness wearing funny hats earlier in the week. I don’t even know what day it is. I do know that the ravens are going to play on Saturday night. My calendar says so. Lamar Jackson is doubtful. My wnst tech service said so. Brought to you by cold roofing and Gordian energy, and Luke Jones is here on the backside of the celebration of the birth of Christ, and we will be, apparently going to be lamenting the end of the Raven season here, very, very shortly, it is been a wild Christmas week here for Lamar Jackson, for John AR ball, for the organization, For the national media to pile on a mike Preston story that, quite frankly, you and I talked about this on Monday, that they might not love Lamar as a $70 million quarterback moving forward, and I didn’t even start to think about the other hot seats that may be open in other places like Miami or New or other places that there would be an opportunity you may poo poo that because you’ve always been like, they’re not getting rid of Lamar, they’re not getting rid of Lamar. The notion that Lamar and John aren’t copacetic does not shock me at all. Since the last text I got before John Harbaugh threw me out was about Lamar not practicing in the middle of the summer that pissed John off, and that’s before they gave him two $50 million

Luke Jones  01:46

well, I’ll continue to go back to the same point that I’ve made to you over and over, and this is the point we were talking about three years ago, or what about a two year stretch off and on, he’s won an MVP since then, you know, going back to the contract stuff, at that point, he should have won another MVP. You and I agreed on that last year. And I’ll say this, and look, this isn’t me saying that what Mike Preston wrote is untrue, or there aren’t issues, or there aren’t questions about Barba on Lamar, or just the entire organization. I mean, this is the, arguably the most disappointing season in the history of the franchise. Let’s call a spade a spade.

Nestor Aparicio  02:24

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And when you lose, fingers get pointed everywhere. And we learn about that because they’ve lost every year at the end. Every year they’ve lost at the end. And it’s been the coordinators fault. It’s been Greg Roman’s fault. It was lamar’s fault. It was Mark Andrews. It’s, you know, it get there’s plenty of blame to go around when they inevitably lose the last game of the year. And they’ve done that seven years in a row with Lamar. So, you know, there’s, there’s been that cleanup, but this is a different kind of cleanup, because they’re not going to lose a playoff game this time.

Luke Jones  02:56

Well, I mean, it’s not over yet, but, yeah, I mean, you look at Saturday night and Lamar Jackson’s doubtful. I’ll point out that Jordan love still has to pass concussion protocol. Malik Willis is also questionable. The Packers have lost two in a row. They clinched a playoff spot by way of Detroit losing on Christmas Day, but they do still have the division hopes to hold on to if they went out. Chicago loses their last two games, which isn’t impossible, but you know, it’s a Packers team that lost their best player, or at least their best defensive player, a few weeks ago, and Micah Parsons. But even if the Ravens win Saturday night, then there’s can the can the Browns pull the up, pull off the upset against the Steelers. So I hear you on that, and their hopes are remote, but

Nestor Aparicio  03:39

I give the Ravens a chance to win on Saturday night? Sure, I do. I’m not. I’m not down on them winning Saturday night. I’m not well.

Luke Jones  03:48

Then I would say, we’ll look at recent history of the Browns playing the Steelers in Cleveland. I mean, last year they beat them. What was that? A Thursday night game with Jameis Winston. And look, I’m not holding my breath on that. I’m not sitting here saying that I think the ravens are going to make the playoffs or even having

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Nestor Aparicio  04:02

maybe the Ravens can run Derek Henry on Saturday. They should.

Luke Jones  04:05

They should. And then that goes back to what we talked about in the penultimate drive of the New England game. But you know, to mention Lamar Jackson, because that’s what we’re doing this week, and we’ll be talking about it in some shape or form for quite a while. I’ll continue to go back to the point of, even if it’s not perfect, what’s the plan then? Because trading Lamar Jackson Nestor is not a plan. You know what trading Lamar Jackson is? It’s giving up. It’s giving up. Now, it’s not to say that you can’t figure that out at some point.

Nestor Aparicio  04:42

But just it’s saying you think you can’t win with him. What does that mean, though, okay, I don’t

Luke Jones  04:49

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like, no, seriously. Tell me what does that mean, though,

Nestor Aparicio  04:53

means giving him $65 million doesn’t feel

Luke Jones  04:56

like, okay, tell me how you’re going to get Patrick mahomes, then you. Uh, no, I’m serious. Tell me how you’re going to get Patrick mahomes, then, because that that argument can be made about any No, then the

Nestor Aparicio  05:07

argument that we’re making here, let’s be really clear. Okay, let’s get, let’s get, let’s get focused here. It’s fun. Steve bishatis, opinions, the only opinion that matters, the only opinion that matters. Same on So, so let’s What does Steve bishati thing? And if we start to think like, No, he doesn’t. He never talks, if we start to think like that, because you’re thinking like Steve bishati and saying, I’m not getting rid of my MVP quarterback, John, you have to figure it out. Well. John says, Well, I can’t figure that. Then, John, we need a new Nelson. Then we need a new John. Okay, now so if John goes in and says, I can’t win with him, or Eric says, this is just now, something came out this week as all of the bar stools and all these people that know more than you because you’re in the locker room, and they’re not, and I’m in the know, and they’re certainly not the bar stool Sports Radio people have pinned this, as the Ravens may have said, that Lamar lacks some maturity in some ways. And I would think that a kid that once told some guy in Pennsylvania to perform fellatio on him and left it up online for five days, and his girlfriend’s the one that told him to take it down. And the guy that was speeding on a 90 to 90 miles an hour doing it live, streaming it, the the guy who made the that Saturday Night Live commercial for that workout thing, whatever that was, um, negotiating with his mom again. They did that once he only had one MVP, then not two, and got screwed out of three. So there is all of the uniqueness, sure, the diva, you know, I don’t even know what the iconic last that is, Lamar. And you have to say, are we going to win with him? Are we going to win the Super Bowl with him? Are we going to start over? Because that’s what you’re asking the owner to do. Sure, and I and I depends on what I’m getting for him. I guess if I own the team, depends on how I can wrap this to the fans. My fans gonna quit on me. Mean, dude, Lamar has been here eight years, and every week, it’s an inside joke. Now it’s an outside joke, because I share it, how little people are willing to pay for tickets most of the time to see Lamar play after the first MVP second. So I don’t know that he’s moving the needle tickets wise, as much as he probably should, to be really honest with you, you know, I mean, I still see their ads trying to sell me, so I’m trying to level set the franchise and saying if Steve believes they can’t win with Lamar anymore, they’re going to throw Lamar over the side of the boat. Because he loves John. He loves Eric like sons. He does. Steve doesn’t want to get his hands dirty. He doesn’t want to have to stand in front of you. It’s certainly not in front of that you know, Jameson Hensley asking all those tough questions and stuff like, I don’t think Steve wants to come out from underneath of the cupboard for anything to answer Justin Tucker questions about what he and some of the people in the organization may or may not have known about Justin Tucker 1012, years ago, and I don’t think he wants to hire another Eric with all that relationship, and I don’t think he wants to hire another John. So I don’t I’m giving you Steve. You’re giving me football guy and like, x’s and o’s and how do we win? I’m telling you, when egos and money and all that get involved here, and they don’t like the kid anymore, for whatever reason. They’re playing a game this week again, he’s not playing. He hasn’t played much this year, like there is a point for them. And the same thing can be said for the Bengals and Joe burrow to say, like, hey dude, you’re not playing enough. So this isn’t about anything other than, can we win with him? Do we still believe in Him? Do we believe in him enough to deal with his mother, give him 300 million fresh dollars here in the offseason and marry him for what, another five or six years? It would be the number right? Like they’re going to redo all of that, and they’re going to look at it and say, Are we really going to win the Super Bowl with him. When I say we, I keep thinking Eric, and listen, I got a business partner here in Brian Billick, who went into those meetings thinking he was part of the trust, until he found that he wasn’t anymore. He walked in one day and it was all over with. And that day might be Monday for John, might be next month, like, literally, I don’t know. I. Have no idea. To me, the owner is an incredible wild card based on where he is in life, sobriety, giving the team away when he’s going to sell it, what he thinks. I don’t have I know he was going to sell the team a number of years ago. I have no idea where he is in, that cocoon that he’s in. But this is spicy for the whole franchise dude.

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Luke Jones  10:25

That’s Oh no, no doubt about it. I mean, the fact that it’s even brought up, I mean, whether you agree with the idea or not, the fact that we’re talking in these terms about John Harbaugh and his future, whether he’s going to be here or not. I mean, this is as loud as that talk has gotten since, at least since before Lamar became the starter midway through 2018 right? I mean, there were reports at that point in time that the Ravens were heading towards a divorce with HAR ball at the end of the year. So, I mean, that was seven plus years ago. The fact that we’re even having the conversation about Lamar Jackson, but I just look at it, and

Nestor Aparicio  11:05

maybe John wants to go coach the Giants, right and right, literally, maybe I don’t know it’s

Luke Jones  11:11

tough, because obviously the two different individuals that work here, but to me, if we’re entertaining the idea that Lamar Jackson might not be here, then why? Why is Eric di Costa seat so comfortable? You know what I mean? Like, I like, I just think these are DEF CON five kind of things we’re talking

Nestor Aparicio  11:28

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about here. Well, Eric’s not a young general manager anymore. Just so you know, like we look at Eric and say, he Eric’s my age. Eric’s pushing 60. Eric’s not young. And, you know, I know the difference, Luke and this happened with you and me running around the owners meetings three years ago. Went to Costa and and bashati ran from me like cowards out on a veranda outside of the Ritz Carlton in Florida, that night when we talked to Mike McCarthy, and that night when I sat with Duke Tobin from the Bengals that night, you were like, doing something else. You were at the you were at the big party. Down with the big party, they had a picture with all of the general managers of the league. Like all of the general managers showed up in the bar where you and I sat and talked to my like, literally that, I said, Mike McCarthy. I met Mike McDonald, my bad, the guy who might should be the coach around here. They all got together, and I looked at Eric and all of them, and there’s a lot of young men of color, young men, I mean, younger than Eric. And I looked at that room, and I’m like, literally, when they were there, I thought Eric’s one of the old ones, like, and this used to be Bill Polian and Ozzy and like that. It’s not like that anymore. So when you talk about Eric, I just think there’s a really special relationship with Eric Decosta, who waited around for a decade for for Steve to be the guy forever, and John, who’s been here forever, I don’t know. They’ve already thrown one quarterback who won the Super Bowl over the side of the boat because they didn’t think they could win with him anymore. I don’t know, man, I don’t I don’t know how they feel about Lamar. I know the coach had some misgivings about him several years ago, and I have it in my phone. So two, two points for Mike Preston for knowing that, because I’ve known that for years, and I’ve talked about it for years. So the fact that, the minute they start losing that there’s problems and they can’t sell tickets in a general sense, I don’t know. I don’t know, Luke, this is sloppy and ugly and not what they want in the news here this week. But I don’t know any good outcome here. And the outcome that you and I would have talked about on Monday or before was, well, Eric’s not going anywhere, John’s not going anywhere. They all have potential. They have all these young players, and he did draft Hamilton, and they’ll figure it out, and they’ll have some cap space, and they’ll figure it out with lamar’s mother. They’re not going to get rid of Lamar. Get rid of Lamar. So the general conventional wisdom would be, they’re all coming back, right? And we’re just being alarmist here, right

Luke Jones  14:11

until we know where Steve machadi’s Headspace is on these terms, that’s where I am reluctant to just say, Yeah, John Harbaugh’s going to be gone a week and a half from now. One of go back to what you’ve said. And I know others have said this, the idea that he would fire John is tough to fathom, at least just in those terms. Now, do you have a discussion and say, John, you’ve got some coaching years left, if you want to coach, or do you want to hang around like we can give you another position in the organization, in the way that Ozzy. I mean, one of the misconceptions about Ozzy Newsome is the idea that Ozzy retired. Ozzy’s in the building. Every I see Ozzy every week, he’s still there. He’s still involved. He’s just not running the show. Anymore. He still has influence and still talks with Eric and John and and he’s part of that brass still. He just isn’t the general manager anymore. So is there a scenario where Steve sits down with John and says, Let’s do with you what we’ve done with Ozzy, and Ozzy’s still a big part of what we do, it’s just he’s not the guy that has to talk to the media. He’s not the guy that’s quote, the guy anymore, and oh, he he doesn’t have to stay here night and day, working 20 hour days in the way that he might have in the past, right? So is there a scenario like that, or does Steve have that conversation with John? And John says, Forget that. I still want to coach, you know, and John would be at the top of the list of candidates for Black Monday, right? If it comes out that the ravens and John Harbaugh are, quote, mutually parting ways, right? Teams need coaches.

Nestor Aparicio  15:54

I mean, let’s talk about that. Because, I mean, what happens a guy like Harbaugh? I mean, dicos doesn’t get a job again. General managers don’t get a sec like that’s in a general set. Somebody may hire Eric. Now, if they were to fire Eric, I think Eric’s the safest of all of them. By the way, I think Eric’s the safest of the three. I mean, that’s my that’s fine. That’s my opinion. And by the way,

Luke Jones  16:21

he’s not 60. He’s 54 and I know you weren’t saying he but you’re saying he’s pushing 60, but I just wanted to clarify, because I was curious.

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Nestor Aparicio  16:27

But he’s not 35 he’s not sure. He’s on the old edge of general managers, if not among the oldest. He’s there because there aren’t 70 year old general managers anymore. They’re a lot more closer to 30 than there are 270 so maybe not 30, but 440 Yeah, sure, sure. So, all right. Well, either way, I mean, there’s Right exactly. I think if you’re, if I’m handicapping this today, from handicapping this, and to say the odds that one of the three of them go is, I don’t know, two to one, three to one, somebody’s going to go that. If they, you know, like that, they’re going to come back with the coach, the general manager and the quarterback. The quarterback’s not a done deal either way, because they don’t love love him at their cap number, right? So they’re going to have to redo him. So he’s almost a free agent, whether you want him to be or not, because you can’t guarantee that you’re bringing him back at any number other than 75 million, and at that number, they probably don’t like that number, so therefore they need to negotiate that number. They’d need Eric to do that. I think Eric safe. I think John is less safe, yeah, um, and I think Lamar would be the first guy that would go, if somebody’s going to go. And that works against everything we would believe with a three time, I’ll give him the third MVP for for our purposes here, quarterback that. So that being said, if that’s true, or if it’s not true, that hardball is more likely to go, because that’s what the national me, that’s what the national media thinks. He’s got to go. They have to sacrifice the coach. I would see bishati burring up at that, yeah, puffing on his cigar and saying, F you, I’m not. You’re not firing my coach, you know, like, I could totally see that with but also, like, what about all these blown leads and stuff that on, you know, at some point somebody’s going to be held accountable for

Luke Jones  18:33

this well, and I, that’s where I struggle with it, especially if we’re talking about it In terms of, like, the organization or Lamar my thought would be okay. Let’s entertain the idea that they’re going to move on from Lamar Jackson. What is John Harbaugh done over the last 13 years to justify getting another quarterback then and trying to win with another quarterback? Right? I mean, and you can certainly relate to this in terms of Brian Billick. I mean, it’s you don’t win a Super Bowl, and then just like you just get a pass forever. Then is there a few years where you say, yeah, by the way,

Nestor Aparicio  19:11

I cannot fathom bashati Throwing all the scouts out of the building, Eric and Ozzy out of the building, and starting from scratch, the safest guy on earth. You literally like, I agree with that, whether I think he absolutely needs to be held accountable for some of their issues, he’s as safe as Stephen Miller is with Donald Trump. As long as there’s Donald Trump, there’ll be a Stephen Miller, as long as there’s a bashati, I think they’ll be at the Costa like, the more I think about it, Nah, he’s he’s just not gonna throw. He’s not throwing that.

Luke Jones  19:44

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I tend to agree with you about to Costa, yeah. But for anything we’re going to talk about with Lamar, and look, I sometimes get annoyed from the standpoint when you and I have and look, this is in the context. To what we do, right? That, you know, people might there are things about Lamar I wish were a little bit different, as, you know, alluding to, you know, the negotiating and everything that happened a few years ago and all that, right? I mean, I’m not saying he’s the perfect player, the perfect person. No. I mean, there’s no one that exists like that that said. I mean, if we’re going to talk about whether the Ravens can win with Lamar, then, like, I’m going to sit here and pick, pick apart every other thing about the organization too, right? I mean, you’re going to pick apart the other

Nestor Aparicio  20:35

28 quarterbacks that they couldn’t have won with that they had them. Did you want Kirk Cousins around in the last five like, that’s where I am right now with Jared Goff here the last five years. I mean, what did you want? Oh, here,

Luke Jones  20:47

having some concerns about where Lamar is and where he’s going now, as he’s where he’s going now, is with the and that’s really where it is. That’s what. And I understand that. First of all, I will say, I’ll push back a little bit on what you said about, you know, extending him, and then you’re signing up for it another five or six years? No, it’s basically another two or three years. I mean, that, think about they signed them three years ago, and now we’re talking about this, right? So think about it more in those terms, but it still is another two or three years, right? And you’re trying to figure out it’s 200

Nestor Aparicio  21:12

million in three years kind of, sort of, I mean, whatever it is, it’s

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Luke Jones  21:15

a lot of it’s gonna be, it’s a lot of money, but I’ll say at the same time, it’s not an amount of money that’s going to send Steve a shotty to the poor house, right? I mean, like no, but

Nestor Aparicio  21:24

it might send John Harbaugh and Eric dicost it back to the draft room and say, let’s take the $60 million and let’s do something else, and let’s try to win some other way. And in year three, we’ll have a quarterback. And is Lamar gonna win the Super Bowl next year, the next year 26 or 27 here? Because if he’s not, let’s not give him 100 $50 million let’s liquidate him. Let’s get a couple of picks. Let’s find somebody that wants him more than us, that we can move up in the draft. And they had the sixth pick in the draft, and I, I’m literally, I don’t, I don’t know, but they do. And Eric’s on this and this, this didn’t make the national media this week, and Mike Preston got wind of this, or whatever like this has been. This is pretty obvious that they’ve had a hard time getting him on the field. They couldn’t get covid shot like that. There has been other than the performance on the field. I think Lamar has been a bit of a handful for them. You know, other than a kid that’s never going to get in trouble off the field, but like, he’s addicted to video games, and he’s like, he’s like, Jackson Five. I mean, he’s not like,

Luke Jones  22:31

and he still won multiple MVPs. I mean, look again, I’m not saying, I’m not sitting here saying that there aren’t elements of Lamar Jackson that could be better in those ways. At the same time, I’m also not going to sit here and act like he’s like, this has been a downward spiral for three or four years now. I mean, last season was the best season of his career, even though he didn’t get the MVP go, look at his numbers. I mean, 41 touchdown passes, four interceptions. Ran for whatever it was

Nestor Aparicio  22:58

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nice video game stuff, right? Yeah, and

Luke Jones  23:01

that’s my thing. That was last year. Look, I’m not sitting that

Nestor Aparicio  23:04

is the reason you’re going to get two ones a two, and, you know, if you want to get rid of him, that’s going to be the reason, because his resume is going to polish up real nice for the dolphins, just, you know, a for a place where they’re going to be madly in love with him, if they’re not madly in love with him here, and if they’re not madly in love with him, him and his mom are going to want to go somewhere else, if there’s a whisper that they don’t want Lamar. Lamar, I mean, do they hung him out as a restricted free agent a couple years ago, like he was in his prime of his prime, he had better wheels then, and had the perception of better wheels then. I still think this is all going to be tied to how much you think he’s going to run, how much you want to run him, who your running backs going to be. And I don’t mean for the dolphins or the saints. I mean for the Ravens. I mean, what are the Ravens going to do around him? What are the Ravens going to do to build the line around him? What are the Ravens going to do to sign zay flowers? They’ve already committed the mark Andrews. It’s complicated. I There’s no doubt about it. It’s it gets a lot more complicated if they get their ass kicked on Saturday night in Green Bay too, because it’s going to be real ugly around here next week at Pittsburgh and being eliminated and dangling. And who said, she said, he said, we said, they said, all of that, right? Yeah.

Luke Jones  24:25

I mean, I just And, look, I hear everything you’re saying. I just like, so where do you go then? I mean, you’re picking in the middle of the first round. Do you really love any of the quarterbacks this coming year? I mean, I feel like you’re signing up to become the Pittsburgh Steelers of the last six years. That’s not a compliment. You know what? I mean? Like, I think it’s way easier to talk about needing to find a franchise quarterback than actually doing it. Well, then, okay,

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Nestor Aparicio  24:52

then, then stop a minute. Then if the question is really we’re going to keep Lamar and Lamar and John don’t get along. Let’s go with the mike Preston theory that Lamar and John don’t get along.

Luke Jones  25:04

If you’re asking me to choose between those two, I’m I, and I don’t say this with haste. I’m picking the 29 year old quarterback compared to the coach who’s been here 18 years, and because of some of the issues in recent years, blown leads not getting over the hump in January, which we’ve all said, Hey, Lamar has his part in that. There’s, I’m not sitting here saying, Lamar, oh, John looks expensive, right now, right? And so if you’re asking me to choose between those two, I’m going to pick the quarterback. I’m going to pick the guy who is, yeah, has

Nestor Aparicio  25:37

had a shot. He’s going to think that way. Well,

Luke Jones  25:41

8

then Steve might then be be prepared for what you’re gonna get. Because if you think you’re having trouble selling tickets with Lamar Jackson, then good luck selling them without Lamar Jackson. My goodness, no. I mean, I’m just, I’m just serious, you’re right.

Nestor Aparicio  25:53

So look, you know who should do? We should ask Chad Steele, because he’s the brand manager, and we’ll learn about the brand management. We’ll ask Sashi about, like, Yeah, I mean, but I was, but I’ll say this, and Katie Greg smells better next week in her gig with Pete Alonso. Like, when I signed up to go hear Katie Griggs speak, she didn’t have Pete Alonso now she walks in and says, We got Pete a lot. I don’t know what that’s worth you, and I can go back and forth about what a star first baseman’s worth from sales or from wins, or how many better than not better than not having him. But you know, if you’re paying him, and from her perspective, he may get her 30 million back. Like I’m promising you that, like, from where she sits, they have to report the management at the end of the year. She’s got a better chance of selling more tickets. But that’s how wacky it is. When we’re talking about it, you’re trying to win or you’re trying to sell tickets. Are you trying to keep the peace? Are you trying to get along? They? Steve owns the place. He’s got to figure all this. It’s his it’s for him to figure out, really.

Luke Jones  26:56

And to go back to the whole selling tickets thing, I mean, I talked to more and more people, and even people in my life who are what I would consider to be, quote, reasonable Ravens fans. I think it’s a tough sell bringing just maintaining the status quo in terms of selling tickets, in terms of people being enthused for what you’re doing and and when I say maintaining the status quo, I mean your head coach, your quarterback.

Nestor Aparicio  27:24

I think that’s why it’s real tough next week with HAR ball. Yeah, because you’re to get rid of him, to your point. But I don’t think it’s easier for John, for Steve, to do that, and I don’t think Eric wants to be out picking coaches right now. But here we go.

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Luke Jones  27:38

And look, I don’t disagree with that notion, and I’m not sitting here saying that, you know that, look, you let John Harbaugh go, that you’re guaranteed that you’re going to find someone that’s going to click better with Lamar, or it’s going to be a better head coach, right? I mean, goes back to what I said, if John Harbaugh is out the door a week from this coming Monday, he’s going to be at the top of the list of other teams, you know, at least some other teams, and he near the top of the list of the of the candidates that are out there right now. So that’s not to be clear. That’s never an excuse to say you’ll never move on from somebody, but you are talking about a really high threshold here to find the next guy. And that’s kind of the same point I’m making about Lamar here when, when people are talking about and I’m not, I’m not picking on you here, like we’re having a discussion, because it’s a major topic right now. And, yeah, it has been a frustrating season for him and for the entire organization. But that’s again, where I go back to, like, if you’re going to consider moving on from Lamar Jackson, like, what are you doing? Then you know what I mean, like, what’s going to happen? Then how are you fine? Like, if the threshold is you’re not, you’re doubting you can win a Super Bowl with him, well, then that implies you need to find a quarterback that absolutely can win the Super Bowl. And while there’s Patrick mahomes, I mean, Josh Allen still hasn’t won a Super Bowl, maybe that’ll maybe two months from now, we’ll be talking in different terms about him. Aaron Rodgers is 42 years old. Matthew Stafford’s in his late 30s, right? I mean, it’s a really short list. I mean, unless you think you’re gonna bring Tom Brady back, I mean, Philip Rivers has come back. Who knows, right?

Nestor Aparicio  29:13

Two weeks ago, borough was leaving Cincinnati, right? Yeah. So, right. So I just put but I just look at this, and again, I’m

Luke Jones  29:22

not saying Lamar is perfect. I’m not saying I don’t have some questions about how he’s going to respond to this season, like, for example, like, put the contract part aside for a moment. And obviously it’s hard to do that, but let’s just say, let’s say he was locked up in a deal that was more run of the mill for the next couple years. Let’s say this had happened a year ago, when the cap number for the coming season was, you know, whatever, yeah, wherever he falls in that list of the top five to 10, you know, my question would be, okay, Lamar, you’ve had this season where you’ve had a hamstring, which is a soft tissue injury, you’ve had other nagging injuries you didn’t. Run as much as a result, the team, the operation, struggled, you know. And one point I want to make just here in passing is, for as frustrating as the season has been, he still has a one, oh, 1.4 passer rating. He’s thrown 18 touchdowns and six interceptions. Don’t Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that’s like MVP Lamar, but we’re also not talking about tua Tonga valoa here, who is so bad that the dolphins have benched him and they’re gonna have to figure out how to get rid of him, because they owe him 50 plus million guaranteed next year. It’s one reason why the dolphins thing, I don’t think is realistic, even if they wanted to do that. I don’t know how Miami makes that work. Right on top of however they’re going to compensate the ravens and all that anyway. To bring it back to Lamar, I would want to sit down with him, if I’m the head coach, the general manager, the quarterback coach, the offensive coordinator, who, you know, anyone that in the Ravens brass that is going to talk with Lamar and just be like, you know, what is our plan this offseason in terms of the football part of this, you know, Lamar, you’re going to be 29 you’re still a great athlete, but you’re not going to continue to be the guy you were at age 2122 2324 and if you’re going to maintain as close as you possibly can to that. Are we going to come up with a tighter plan for you in terms of Offseason training and all those types of things, right? Can we talk about OTAs, right? All like all that, right? So I have questions. Those are fair questions, right? The idea that any athlete, I mean, go back to Shannon sharp, you know, I vividly remember this, and I’m sure, you know, I know you do, because you covered him, but Shannon Sharpe talked about that when he was on the other side of 30. And Lamar is not there yet, but he’s gonna be 29 in a couple of weeks. Here, it’s really close. The idea of, you know, for him, it sounded simplistic. You know, he said he dropped five pounds every off season to try to stay as fast as fast as he could. I’m not saying that that’s like that specifically is what Lamar needs to do, but just in terms of when you get older, in the same way that we all have to do this, I have to watch what I eat way more now than I did as a 32 year old, let alone as a 22 year old or a 16 year old,

Nestor Aparicio  32:14

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right? It was Christmas, but I’m sure, sure,

Luke Jones  32:17

yeah, but that’s why I’m afraid to step on the scale.

Nestor Aparicio  32:20

I smell the cookies on my breathing, where you are exactly,

Luke Jones  32:23

exactly, but, but that’s just, that’s human nature, right? The idea that as you get older, you’re going to have to adjust and change and alter and tighten up the way you take care of yourself. And I think the same applies. And this isn’t a large acts, an exclusive issue. This is any player, any professional athlete. If you want to maximize your career, if you want to elongate your prime, you’re going to have to do those things as you get older. I mean, Ray Lewis, I’m sure, would tell you, but when he was 30 years old, compared to being 21 coming out of Miami, the things he had to do to maintain that level of greatness that he was capable of at age 30 was far more difficult than what he had to do at age 22 right? So, so yeah, there are conversations and ideas in my mind and concerns or questions in my mind about how Lamar as an individual, as someone who has takes pride in his craft, is going to approach this offseason on the heels of what’s happened here. Because, you know, if he wants to stay healthy and be as productive and as explosive and as successful as he’s capable of being, and I still think he can be the not necessarily saying he’s going to be the guy he was in 2019 rushing for 1200 yards. But I also don’t think one down season here on the heels of what he did the last couple years necessarily means that what he is right now is who he’s going to be moving forward. And that’s that’s where I pushed back when

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Nestor Aparicio  33:51

I had concern about him running into linebackers eight years ago. Years into this he’s run into a lot of linebackers. He’s taken on more contact than any quarterback in the history of the game, maybe not sideways the way Cam Newton and some other guys are really sought contact. Brett Favre sought contact out there in the modern game, but, but I also do you know, like I look at him and I if, if there was things that they didn’t love about him at 25 the one thing they’re not going to love about him at 31 is going to be his wheels. And I would have said that eight years ago like and that’s kind of why this is bad. I mean, all the way around the blown leads are bad for har ball. That puts a lot more pressure on bashati to fire har ball and or da Costa, which I know he wouldn’t want to upend the whole organization that the aorta, the institutional knowledge, all of that. And if it’s a quarterback they feel like they can’t win with. And if the reputation is bigger than what they think he is internally, if his reputation is better on the outside than it is on the inside. Then they can deal him, get whatever they’re going to get for him and go play football again next year. And to your point, maybe they become the Pittsburgh Steelers, but I can see bashati saying, I’m not getting rid of my coach for a quarterback that might have two years of tread left on his tire. Maybe because I know they don’t love Lamar as a 35 year old quarterback.

Luke Jones  35:25

I’m not saying that that line of thinking isn’t what reality would be in Steve bashatis mind. But then I would say, Well, how much longer is John Harbaugh going to be your coach? Then, you know what? I mean, like, John’s not 40 years old. He’s got three or four years left on the deal, right? I mean, three, three. Yeah, three years. Okay? I just, I’ll continue to go back to, like, what’s the plan? Like, trading Lamar Jackson’s not a plan trading. Lamar Jackson’s giving up. I mean, like, it really is okay.

Nestor Aparicio  35:51

So now, what is the plan, firing our ball well, or marching forward with the three guys and coming back? Is that? Just, what’s the I mean, just what’s the plan in general?

Luke Jones  35:57

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Like, how are you going to get your franchise quarterback? You’re going to be picking somewhere closer to the middle of the first round. First round. What quarterback Do you love coming out of this draft? It’s not like perceived to be a great, you know, a draft that’s abundant with all this quarterback. I mean, I just for me, for me to really be in the frame of mind that this is something that they might need to do. I need, I need to see more of a trend line of concern than one season in which he ran for like 75 yards in week one against Buffalo and looked plenty fast then, right? This isn’t like three years of Lamar trending in a concerning direction, right? Joe Flacco trended in a concerning direction for, I mean fully acknowledging there’s always other variables at work here, right? But didn’t have a good year in 13, had a good year with Kubiak. In 14, wasn’t having a good year under tresman, then got hurt, came back in 16, didn’t have a particularly great year. 17, had the back injury. You just said, tresman, wow. But my point in that is, I forgot

Nestor Aparicio  37:02

about him. I would have lost the quiz.

Luke Jones  37:04

My point with Joe is like that was, for the most part, four or five years. And look, I’m not putting that all on Joe. You know how I felt about how the Ravens built their roster or didn’t build their roster, then my point is that was, that was a few years in the making until you finally said that. Okay, I’ll hear that. Lamar got hurt at the end of 21 and he got hurt at the end of 22 but he stayed healthy in 23 and was MVP of the League. He stayed healthy last year, and should have been MVP of the league this year. No, he’s not the MVP of the league, and he’s not anywhere close to that. However, I’m not, I don’t have the conviction to look at this season and say, Man, I think you need to get rid of Lamar Jackson. I’m just not there. That’s not to say I don’t have questions about what’s going to happen now moving forward. And, yeah, I’d like to see Lamar come out of this season and say, Maybe I need to make some adjustments on how I prepare, and tighten some things up on my end in the same way that the entire team needs to, because we all failed this year, right? I’d like to see that

Nestor Aparicio  38:07

mindset, sure, but you can say all of that, then you have to negotiate with him. No question.

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Luke Jones  38:13

I’m not look let me be clear, just because I’m sitting here having no enthusiasm whatsoever or appetite whatsoever for the idea of trading Lamar Jackson, because, again, I just like to do what to stink next year. I mean, okay, like, I’ll look forward to baseball season. Then. That doesn’t mean I don’t have, I’m not acknowledging some, some headaches here, right? Some the idea you have to negotiate. Yeah, I’d prefer it if it was Lamar get ready to win his third MVP and they had the number one or number two seed in the AFC right now. Then, yeah, you

Nestor Aparicio  38:48

know these Wednesday practices he’s missed. How many of those do you think John thought it was okay? Um, or, or thought like, Come on, dude. Or thought, like, I mean, I I’m literally, yeah. Like, we’ve been going at this every week where John thought he was playing on a Friday, and then Saturday it wasn’t, and John got embarrassed. And the organization like, your judge, I’m a Christian. I’m honest. Let me read some scripture. I’m honest. I mean, I can see that too. I listen. I don’t know who to believe in an organization of snakes and vipers. I mean, I’ve met Sashi Brown and Chad steel and John arball. I don’t know where the honesty and the dishonesty begin and end amongst all of them. As you have a press credential for the game, and I don’t, so I literally don’t, but I know Lamar didn’t practice on Wednesdays. There was a thought that that John didn’t show frustration in these press conferences. But at some point it’s like, Come on, man, right, come on, come on. And now the season is wilted. And say it’s because. Because of Lamar, but it’s kind of because, I mean, because Lamar got hurt, because of a lot of things, but yeah, not having a great season is absolutely part of and if they perceive in some way that he’s not taking care of himself, or not doing this, or not doing that, or watching too many video games, or more interested in his teeth than he is in his game, or like, like, I have no idea what they really think. Maybe they think you change. We gave you two $50 million and you’re not the same cat you were five years ago. They gave you a statue in Louisville. And you know, I mean, he is Lamar F and Jackson now he’s not. Hey kid, go play wide receiver. We disrespect you. He runs the building for better or worse. Oh, and so whatever the record is 899, and eight, and then seven and 10, whatever it’s going to be, that’s John Harbaugh’s record too, right? And I would think that John Harbaugh’s got $100 million in the bank too. So like, you know, Lamar has made $200 million playing quarterback. Here. We’re, we’re sitting, and bashati is a billionaire who’s heads in the rectum of the cloud somewhere.

Luke Jones  41:08

So you’re saying no one’s going to the poor house over this.

Nestor Aparicio  41:10

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What I’m saying is, when they all get in the room, they all have the biggest Trump car, you know. So they all, you know, they can all, John can go get a job there. Lamar can say, fu deal. Me, I want to go play for the dolphins. My mom and I want to go there. I want out. Bye. That could happen too. All right? That’s a very NBA play, right? I don’t like the cold. I don’t like Wednesday. Is that what you’re telling the media? And he didn’t even have an agent to even run blocker on any of this, sure. So whatever happens, his mother’s involved, and that’s never good when Stephen A Smith has to, has to say something on the air. Lord knows what’s going to come out of all of this. I’m just, I’m spitting it at you, true, because ain’t making the playoffs and they’re not winning the Super Bowl, and somebody’s gonna get, get blamed for it.

Luke Jones  42:03

I look, I am absolutely fascinated by what’s going to happen here.

Nestor Aparicio  42:08

This has been an interesting conversation. You and me. It’s not fun, per se. You know, I got this one 1000 times between now and March, right? I mean, in some shape or form, days between now, well, we’ll start, well, we’ll start

Luke Jones  42:21

to see if they’re looking for a new head coach, right? I mean, no. I mean, I’m

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Speaker 1  42:25

just right soon, yeah. I mean, if it’s going to happen,

Luke Jones  42:30

it better happen soon, because you don’t, you don’t want to be in a position where it happens later in the offseason.

Nestor Aparicio  42:35

Well, this is where John’s agent, Harlan,

Luke Jones  42:38

8

Brian Harlan, Kevin harlan’s Brother, you know, gets on the phone. So what are the jobs? I’m seriously, what are the jobs? Let me throw this jack. Let me let’s, you know, usually, because we’re talking, because we’ve talked about the plans, because we’ve entertained the possibility of Lamar Jackson being traded, if you’re Steve bishodi and Eric dicostia, and if they’re, you know, and obviously, Steve makes the job or makes the decision, you know, I, I’ve heard a lot of people say, Well, Eric can choose his own head coach. That’s that’s never been how the Ravens chain of command works, right? The general manager answers directly to the owner, same with the head coach. Obviously, there’s collaboration, but it’s not, it’s not a pecking order where it’s owner, General Manager, and then head coach below the general manager, head coach and general manager side by side, both answering to the head to the owner. So Sashi

Nestor Aparicio  43:30

Brown will have, of course, Steele will have input coach, which is insane, but

Luke Jones  43:37

let’s, let’s talk about this we already established, and we know from when I was sitting in the Rogers Center press box the second game of this 2025 baseball season, when the Ravens announced that John Harbaugh was getting a three year extension. He’s under contract for three more years, if you have decided in some shape or form, right? And and I one thing I will say, I feel conviction about I don’t think Steve is just going to flat out if John AR ball’s not their head coach next year. I don’t think it’s because Steve just simply sat him down and said, You’re fired. I think there’s an exit strategy of some sort for everyone involved to try to get something they want and to save some face in the process. I think because we talked about Lamar Jackson potentially being dangled on the open market, whether that’s wise to do or not, why wouldn’t you do the same thing with John Harbaugh, especially knowing he would be perceived quite favorably in terms of as a candidate for a head coach. So why wouldn’t you say, Okay, John, maybe, maybe this is, you know, you worked with Andy for years in Philly. Maybe this is, this is that for you now you still, you know, you’re young enough that you could still coach another eight, 910, years, however long you want to do it. You’re in good shape, you’re healthy. You love, you still love doing it. And you. And we don’t want to, you know, we don’t want to embarrass you here like we love you like and we know this isn’t all your fault, but you know, maybe it is time for a change. We’re gonna have to figure this out. We want to try to see if I don’t wait, a chief’s job might be the next job. I mean, I guess reports are out there, Andy Reid’s coming back, but who knows, right? I’m just thinking of jobs. But my point because jobs mean next Monday, sir, there are always jobs. We know like it’s whether it’s going to be six or whether it’s going to be 10 jobs, they’d be firing

Nestor Aparicio  45:29

John before they be firing Lamar before they move on. Lamar be moving on from them in March, not the other way around.

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Luke Jones  45:35

My point would be John, and obviously your agent would do this work too. Of the eight teams that have already fired their coach, and this is like a week from next Tuesday, right? Of the eight teams that have already fired their coach, or has, all you know, already fired them during the season? What are the teams like? Which teams would you think would be a decent landing spot? Why couldn’t you trade John Harbaugh then? I mean, I’m just saying, like, if you’re gonna give me, you’re gonna give me scenarios of trading. He’s a Hall of Fame coach, that’s what I’m saying. Like, and look, I’m not not sitting here saying you’re gonna trade them for three first round picks or anything like that, but I would think a team that’s out there that would view him as a great candidate for their job tell me you couldn’t get, I don’t know, second round pick or something like that. I I’m just saying, if we’re going to talk about scenarios for trading the quarterback, I sure as heck we’ll talk about scenarios of trading the head coach then too, because I think John Harbaugh would have value in that way, and then say

Nestor Aparicio  46:35

to Costa, would trade his wife and kids for

Luke Jones  46:37

sure, sure. But think about it, I’m going to give them away. That would make Steve. Steve would like the fact that he’s not on the hook for paying a head coach three seasons to sit at home or to go do TV or to coach somewhere else. Yeah. So, so I just think, I think that’s another, I think that’s another interesting tentacle that, you know, another interesting branch here, because of the contract, because of my assumption that at least three or four out of however many teams have a head coach would say, oh my gosh, I’d love to hire John Harbaugh. I just think that’s the truth. And I know people who hate horrible on this town would scoff at that, but goes back to like, what the perception is there, and how little other teams have won, and how much he’s won here, even if recent years, it’s been more regular season and less January success. So just think it’s another fascinating element to this thing. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t, I don’t, and it’s disappointing how this season has played out.

Nestor Aparicio  47:41

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But it feels like something’s going to happen. Something’s got to happen, right?

Luke Jones  47:45

Feels that way, I mean. And this goes back to, like, what we were talking about with the tickets, like, if you’re just going to sell me on firing a coordinator, and let’s say you fire the offensive line coach, and you fire your pass rush, you know, Chuck Smith, because the edge rushers haven’t developed in the way they wanted over the last few years. Like, that’s just kind of more of the same, right? That’s still the status quo. You know, I look at this thing and I just kind of wonder, I mean, go back to two years ago. They were hosting the AFC title game, the trajectory, like, they’ve been on a downward line since then, that’s not good. And that’s not all John Harbaugh’s fault. It’s not all Eric to Costa’s fault. That’s not all Lamar Jackson’s fault or all the defense or all the offensive line, but everyone’s got a part in that, right? So when you have a season like this, and you’re two years removed from hosting the AFC title game, and you know, at the time, there was hope that maybe that there’d be a redemption story in the same way there was a redemption story The year after Billy condiff and Lee Evans, and it’s been the opposite. They just have gone down the last two years, right? So to the point where you’re, you know, boring, a miracle, you’re not going to make the playoffs this year. So, yeah, it, for me, it does feel like something a little more drastic might, could, should happen. That said, I’ll go back to your original point. It’s beginning of our conversation. My opinion doesn’t matter. Your opinion doesn’t matter. The guy at the end of the bar’s opinion doesn’t matter. Well, unless enough of them have season ticket invoices, I suppose it this is all this is Steve a shotty. And for someone who hasn’t taken, hasn’t taken questions from reporters in Owings Mills going on, what eight years, the this coming winter or this coming spring, I suppose it’s

Nestor Aparicio  49:37

hard to accountability is never at the top. Hard to say exactly what’s going to happen. You know? Well, they play football Saturday night. We’re going to watch. We’re going to get together and gather afterward, the National pundits for all come running in, and Lamar is doubtful to start. So all that being said, any anything on the game? Any parting shot on

Luke Jones  49:55

it interesting. I mean, I said it at the beginning briefly, but I mean, Lamar is doubtful, so we don’t expect him to. Play. Jordan love still has to clear concussion protocol. Malik Willis has been, you know, has a shoulder and an illness. So, like, it’s not like Green Bay’s like set at quarterback for Saturday night. You have a Packers team that did clinch a playoff spot, but they’re still fighting for the division. So I would think they’re still all in as much as they can be in terms of playing hard Saturday night and for the Ravens. I mean, without Lamar playing, look, obviously, that depletes their chances of winning. But in the John Harbaugh conversation, how’s this group come out and play on Saturday night? Are they flat? Are they flat? As can be, and they lose by 17 points, and they’re never really in the game or or do they bow up and play really hard, and it’s a three point game with five minutes to go one way or the other. I’m not saying that saves his job, but if we’re talking in terms of whether he’s going to be the head coach two weeks from now, I’m looking I’m looking at all this. I’m looking at how they’re playing, how hard they’re playing, all of that. So I’m interested to see that, but yeah, it’s tough for me to have a whole lot of confidence that the Baltimore Ravens are going to go into Green Bay and win on Saturday night without Lamar Jackson. I mean, it’s just, you know, just speaking in reality right there. It’s not not being a Debbie Downer or anything like that. I mean, you know, Lamar not being right has led to this team not being very good this year. And you know, that’s certainly going to be the case on Saturday night, boring up a miraculous return to the field with him being doubtful.

Nestor Aparicio  51:24

He is Luke Jones. He is Baltimore, Luke. We are trying to get ready for some football here this weekend, getting ready for a new year the next season, which is the offseason, which is the hiring and firing season, is around the corner, and there’s a game against Steelers next week as well. If there’s any breaking news, you’ll get it first. Wnst tech service, all of that brought to you by cold roofing and Gordian energy. We’re suspending the Maryland crab cake tour, at least for the remainder of 2025 we’ll like it back after 2026 as we do a cup of soup or a bowl. Everything that we do is up in Baltimore. Positive. Go find it. Happy New Year. Let’s talk some football on Monday. You.