The Ravens owner, Steve Bisciotti, parted ways with John Harbaugh with a clear message: the franchise’s “goal has always been and will always be to win championships.” That hasn’t happened under Harbaugh since the Super Bowl triumph in 2012 season. Now, with his exit, old frustrations are resurfacing, especially his pleas for a dynamic wide receiver to unlock Lamar Jackson that the front office ignored.

“John Harbaugh ‘badly’ wanted the Ravens to draft Puka Nacua back in 2023, but the front office ended up going against his wishes, per @MikeGarafolo,” JPA Football reported on X on January 21. “If he got his way, Puka Nacua would be a Raven. That was a guy John Harbaugh badly wanted the Ravens to draft and they didn’t.”

Harbaugh had zeroed in on Puka Nacua during the 2023 Draft process, envisioning him as the perfect complement to Jackson. Instead, the Ravens selected wide receiver Zay Flowers with the 22nd overall pick in the first round. 

Nacua tumbled all the way to the 177th overall selection, where the Rams scooped him up in the fifth round. Since then, the speedy receiver has become a nightmare for defenses, earning Sporting News Rookie of the Year honors. Now, this season, Nacua is shattering records with a league-leading 129 receptions, 80 first downs, and 107.2 receiving yards per game.

It’s no surprise the Super Bowl-winning coach spotted Nacua’s fire early; he saw a player who could elevate any quarterback through his reliability and big-play ability. Nacua has been a steady force for Matthew Stafford, who has boasted a 64.46% completion rate over three seasons and pushed 65% this year alone.

That vision makes perfect sense, especially since Harbaugh openly praised Nacua long before his breakout.

“Oh yeah, I liked him [Puka Nacua]. He was one of my highest-rated guys. You can ask anybody here. Ask the wide receiver coach, ask the scouts. He was way up on my board. He’s playing exactly how I thought he would, for the record,” Harbaugh said in 2023.

But that’s the dream that never materialized. Nacua landed with the Rams, Harbaugh got shown the door by the Ravens, and whispers suggest deeper issues fueled his firing than just draft disagreements.

John Harbaugh fired amid locker room rift, lands with the Giants

After nearly two decades steering the Ravens, Harbaugh was let go. Both sides moved on with class and mutual respect. Yet reports quickly emerged painting a grimmer picture. Harbaugh had “lost the locker room, including but not limited to Lamar Jackson,” according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport.

Moreover, Harbaugh’s dismissal also ties directly to the delicate contract dance with Jackson.

“A team source pointed out that it wasn’t a coincidence that the dismissal of Harbaugh came at a time when Baltimore needs to get a new contract completed with Jackson, whose salary cap figure jumps to $74.5 million this offseason. A new coach might make it easier to get a new long-term deal done with Jackson,” Ravens reporter Jamison Hensley of ESPN wrote on January 7.

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Hensley further noted the “friction between Jackson and the coaching staff,” suggesting a new coaching staff might finally “reconnect with Jackson.” Resetting that relationship could be the key to keeping their dynamic dual-threat QB happy and locked in long-term.

As for Harbaugh himself, he’s wasted no time landing on his feet, taking the head coaching job with the Giants. A major draw? Quarterback Jaxson Dart, who is entering his sophomore year after showing flashes in his rookie campaign.

“The quarterback’s kind of important. I’m excited about Jaxson Dart,” Harbaugh said. “It starts with the quarterback for sure. You build your team around your quarterback.”

In the end, pairing Harbaugh with Dart in New Jersey could revive the Giants’ fortunes. Or Harbaugh might end up becoming the next Pete Carroll.