Ravens coach John Harbaugh laughed Monday when asked about a video the team posted of him speaking with quarterback Lamar Jackson on the sideline during Sunday’s 49-13 blowout of the Cincinnati Bengals.
“I was kind of curious how that got out,” he said, grinning. “There’s microphones everywhere, apparently. Who’s wearing a wire? It wasn’t Lamar or me, just for the record.”
The video captured Harbaugh telling his second-year quarterback: "You know how many little kids in this country are going to be wearing No. 8 playing quarterback for the next 20 years because of you?"
Asked if he usually allows himself such reflective moments during a game, Harbaugh joked: “I have a lot of deep thoughts, you know.”
He said he noticed many purple No. 8 jerseys in the stands and also red No. 8 jerseys from Jackson’s Louisville fans, who had made the short drive to Cincinnati.
Harbaugh acknowledged that there was a more serious strain of pride at the heart of his conversation with Jackson, who had delivered another victory and a highlight for the ages with his spinning 47-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
“I think he is all in on getting better,” Harbaugh said. “That’s all he thinks about. It takes everything to get 1 percent better. Then, you see him go out there and see it pay off, as a coach, yeah, you’re fired up about that. You’re excited about it, and sometimes you’re amazed by it, with any player.”