Baltimore Ravens offense coordinator Todd Monken is reportedly putting the finishing touches on a contract extension to remain with the team. It's a titanic move with a noteworthy fallout, though it's the best outcome for the two sides.
Monken staying put isn't only a massive win for Ravens superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson, but it's also ideal for him. While he's garnered head coaching interest in consecutive hiring cycles, the soon-to-be 59-year-old is ostensibly in no rush to leave Baltimore, and reasonably so.
Todd Monken extension with Ravens is best for OC and Lamar Jackson
Why step away from a situation as a top lieutenant on a perennial Super Bowl contender for the Carolina Panthers, who interviewed him last year? What about other dysfunctional/cursed franchises like the Chicago Bears or Jacksonville Jaguars, who met with him during Baltimore's playoff run this postseason?
Do any of those sound appealing to you if you're Monken? Or would you keep pushing the buttons of an offense with the most dangerous player in football under center and an unstoppable backfield tandem?
The only job Monken skipping town for could've been justifiable is the Los Angeles Chargers opening. He chatted with them in 2023 before they ultimately went in a different direction, à la Jim Harbaugh. An opportunity to work with another special signal-caller like Justin Herbert in a big-market, sunny city seems like a nice setup, if you ask me. But given how the cookie has crumbled, Baltimore is the top option.
Jackson and the Baltimore offense dominated under Monken's guidance over the past two seasons. During the 2024 campaign, they led the NFL in yards per play (6.8) and game (424.9) while ranking third in scoring (30.5 points per contest). Baltimore has been a hyper-efficient buzzsaw with the play-caller pulling the strings and shown zero signs of slowing down. Conversely, they're only getting stronger with time.
History tells us Jackson is on the verge of winning back-to-back MVPs with Monken. The latter has unlocked the former's passing ability while impressively maintaining his electrifying dual-threat rushing output, and the numbers support that.
Jackson led the league in the following adjusted passing stats this season:
- Yards per attempt
- Net yards per attempt
- Passing touchdowns percentage
- Passer rating index
Stats courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com.
Moreover, Jackson made a career-high 359 on-target throws. His next closest total is 326, which also happened under Monken. He also sits atop the leaderboard in yards per carry (6.6)
So, as Monken and the Ravens iron out the kinks of an agreement, all parties involved should be excited about the continued partnership.