Greg Roman‘s time as Ravens offensive coordinator will end after four seasons. Roman is stepping down to pursue other opportunities, the team announced.
A veteran OC, Roman had been with the Ravens since 2017. The team promoted him to offensive coordinator in 2019, coinciding with Lamar Jackson‘s first season as the team’s full-time starting quarterback. Thursday’s news comes not long after John Harbaugh said he was confident in his staff and did not expect any changes.
“After visiting with coach Harbaugh and after huddling with my family, I have decided now is the right time to move on from the Ravens so that I can explore new challenges and opportunities,” Roman said in a statement thanking the Ravens, via his agency (on Twitter).
Having developed a reputation for revamping offenses geared around dual-threat quarterbacks, Roman did his most notable work in Baltimore. Jackson morphed from a player who dropped to No. 32 in the 2018 draft to a league MVP by his second season. While Roman became a somewhat polarizing figure for Ravens fans during his four-season tenure as OC, Jackson soared to three Pro Bowls and became a superstar during this period.
The Ravens have reached a rather pivotal point with Jackson, who is set for free agency (or, almost certainly, a franchise tag) in March. Frustration built within the organization about Jackson’s lingering PCL sprain, to the point the self-represented quarterback released a statement detailing his injury. Jackson then did not travel with the team to Cincinnati, and his Monday Instagram post fueled more speculation about a potential separation between he and the Ravens. While select NFL execs believe Jackson will be available in a trade, the Ravens have continued to insist they want to hammer out an extension. The sides have tried and failed to do so for two years.
Roman, 50, served as OC for both the 49ers and Bills prior to his six-year Ravens run. His San Francisco stay offered a prelude to the Ravens’ Jackson-rejiggered offense, with the team pivoting to a Colin Kaepernick-centered attack midway through the 2012 campaign. That change helped drive the 49ers to two more NFC championship games and Super Bowl XLVII, where they narrowly lost to the Ravens. Roman also aided ex-Raven Tyrod Taylor to a nice run in Buffalo. The Bills led the league in rushing in both 2015 and 2016, though Roman was fired early in the ’16 campaign.
Under John Harbaugh in Baltimore, mixed results came. The Ravens glided to a 14-2 record in 2019, and Jackson became a unanimous MVP. His 1,206 rushing yards that season shattered a quarterback record. The Ravens made the playoffs from 2018-20 and returned this season, but Jackson has largely flatlined as a passer after showing initial growth. Baltimore has ranked 27th, 32nd, 20th and 28th in passing from 2019-22, and while Jackson’s historic run-game abilities and the team’s receiver investments have much to do with those placements, Roman’s presence became a sore spot with fans in recent years. The Ravens finishing the past two seasons without Jackson, who has missed 11 games since 2021 because of injuries, obviously hindered their cause as well. Baltimore’s point totals decreased in each of Roman’s four seasons as the play-caller.
“Greg devised and led our offense to no fewer than 26 historical NFL and franchise achievements,” Harbaugh said. “He established an identity for our offense. We are grateful for Greg’s great work and abilities, and we wish him and his wonderful family the utmost happiness going forward.”
Roman spoke with Stanford about their HC vacancy last month but did not appear a serious candidate. He emerged on the NFL HC radar in 2020, following Jackson’s MVP run, but has not been connected to a job since that offseason. Considering the Ravens’ relationship with Jackson and his uncertain contract status, this becomes one of the league’s most intriguing vacancies.
Can’t put much blame on Roman between the Jackson injury and the wide receiver injuries.
I wonder how much, if at all, this affects how much Lamar wants to stay with the Ravens. Since it doesn’t affect his bottom line, probably not that much.
Does it signal the team plans to move on? Roman is announcing this as personal choice, but if they know they are moving on from Lamar and want to re-style the offense…
Possibly, but probably we’re reading too much into this. I think that there’s been some general frustration with that offense for a couple of years now.
Jets should definitely interview him.
he’d need a QB to work with first.
They’ll solve it somehow
Wonder if Roman and Jackson both want out and will try link up on a new team.
Lamar to Tampa could be cool. Lamar is from Pompano Beach and Tampa Bay is only 3 hours away from there. They need an OC, Brady is leaving, they have WRers, and somewhat of an o line. The defence still has some names on it. The NFC south sucks so he’d get to walk to the playoffs every season without much effort. If they had a dual threat QB that could also run the ball it would be huge for them.
Tampa has the worst cap space. They are 60 million over. You can’t restructure enough contracts to sign Jackson
Your right
It’s going to sound like sour grapes but while I do believe Lamar is an incredibly gifted athlete, neither he nor Roman’s offensive schemes have ever brought fear to me as a Steelers fan
To your point, Lamar only has a losing record against a couple of teams; the Steelers, a divisional competitor, are one of them.
Let me guess the next OC will be Matt Weiss the co-OC at Michigan?
If Jim Irsay wants to finally do something right, make Roman the Colts’ HC and then give up whatever it takes to get Lamar.
One and done in the playoffs, with QB1 on injured reserve? How would that be progress?
Oh yes, Wentz missing the playoffs and Matt Ryan MIA this year. Still, you’re not setting the bar high enoough.