Ravens News: John Harbaugh Takes Big Decision For Struggling Lamar Jackson After Making Bold Claim

The whistle blows at Owings Mills, and in that sharp sound echoes a century of football truth. And that is: games are won where the grass stains are deepest. For the Baltimore Ravens, the sacred ground between center Tyler Linderbaum’s snap and Lamar Jackson’s release just got a new guardian. Meet Andrew Vorhees, the 6’6”, 320-pound embodiment of resilience who just seized the starting left guard spot. That was indeed a decision rippling through the roster like a perfectly timed trap block.

The Ravens’ first official 2025 depth chart landed with the subtlety of a Derrick Henry stiff-arm. Moreover, the message was clear: Andrew Vorhees is the man tasked with fortifying Lamar Jackson’s blindside. Ben Cleveland (#66), the massive “Big Country,” settles into the primary backup role. This isn’t just about filling Patrick Mekari’s vacated spot. Indeed, it’s a declaration of trust in Vorhees’s gritty journey and rock-solid August performance.

“Andrew Vorhees is in the lead. Something would have to change,” head coach John Harbaugh declared with uncharacteristic bluntness after Saturday’s practice, cutting through the usual camp coach-speak like a pulling guard clearing a lane. He acknowledged Cleveland’s recent surge – “the next three or four days looked really good” after a rough start. However, he underscored Vorhees’s unwavering consistency: “Andrew has looked good all the way through.”

Vorhees was drafted in the 7th round in 2023 after tearing his ACL during Combine drills. However, he became an instant legend by bench-pressing 225 pounds 38 times on one good leg. Indeed, that was the highest count that year. “Freak athlete. Hopefully, he has a nice recovery… He’s a legend already. Tough as nails,” Ravens forums buzzed.

He rehabbed during his rookie year, earned a spot in the starting lineup last season, but an ankle injury sidelined him. However, now, after 348 hard-earned snaps in 2024 (268 offensive, 80 special teams), he’s reclaimed his throne. His reward? The privilege of lining up between All-Pro center Tyler Linderbaum (#64) and veteran stalwart left tackle Ronnie Stanley (#79).

Cleveland, the 2021 3rd-round pick known for his mountain-like 355-pound frame and a memorable 2024 field-goal block, faces a different narrative. Despite re-signing this March, inconsistency and a troubling offseason DUI arrest have marred his path (0.178 BAC) and subsequent divorce filing. His 2024 offensive snap count (a mere 49, just 4.4% of the team total) told its own story even before camp began.

Harbaugh’s bombshell: Lamar Jackson, passing phenom

While the trenches solidify, the man they protect is drawing praise of historic proportions. In a move as bold as a 4th-and-goal call, Harbaugh didn’t just defend Jackson’s arm talent on ESPN’s This is Football podcast – he launched it into the stratosphere of all-time greats.

“He’s as good as any passer that there’s ever been – and I think now the numbers are proving that,” Harbaugh stated, silencing lingering doubters like a perfectly thrown deep out. “He is a historically good passer… Lamar Jackson can throw the football. He can throw it every kind of way, he can make every kind of throw any kind of way you want.” The stats scream validation. Jackson’s 2024 line wasn’t just good; it was video-game legendary: 4,172 yards, 41 TDs, just 4 INTs, plus 915 rushing yards and 4 more scores. He wasn’t just running circles around defenses; he was dissecting them from the pocket.

Pro Football Focus highlighted his elite ability after the play breaks down: his 31 big-time throws on dropbacks lasting more than 2.5 seconds led the NFL, proving he’s as deadly waiting for routes to develop as he is escaping the rush. “His ability to extend plays and then take advantage of coverage with lethality,” PFF noted, was unmatched. He’s not just a dual-threat; he’s a complete offensive ecosystem.

Why Vorhees matters to Lamar’s legacy? This convergence – a solidified, gritty O-line and a quarterback hailed as a “historically great” passer – is the Ravens’ 2025 thesis. Vorhees winning the LG spot isn’t just about one position; it’s about optimizing Jackson’s universe. Cleaner pockets mean more time for Jackson’s improved field vision and lethal deep ball.

Stronger interior run blocking (Vorhees’ college pedigree at USC was dominant) fuels Henry (#22), forcing defenses to respect the play-action that makes Jackson’s passing even deadlier. It’s about minimizing those chaotic, off-schedule scrambles that, while thrilling, take a toll. As one Ravens insider noted, keeping Jackson upright is the key to unlocking his ‘highest grade in playoff film review’ – that elusive final step.

The message from the castle is clear. Harbaugh’s decisive depth-chart move and his stunning proclamation about Jackson are two sides of the same Lombardi-chasing coin. They’re betting big on Vorhees’ iron will and technical prowess to shore up the trenches. They’re staking their season, and perhaps Jackson’s ultimate legacy, on the belief that the electrifying runner has evolved into one of the most precise, efficient passers the game has ever seen. As the great Omar Little from The Wire might observe, ‘The game is the game.’

In Baltimore, the game rests on the shoulders of a resilient guard and the arm of a quarterback now tasked with a legendary mandate. Indeed, to prove the history books have a new chapter to write, written in Ravens’ purple and black. The first preseason snap against Indy can’t come soon enough.