Harbowl Week is upon us.
The Ravens and Los Angeles Chargers will meet next Monday on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” in the first coaching matchup between brothers John and Jim Harbaugh since 2011.
While the family ties between the teams on opposite coasts are obvious, the bonds on the field and in the front office run deep. Here’s a look at notable figures who have been on both sides of the game:
Reception
Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz: Before moving to Los Angeles, Hortiz was a mainstay in the Ravens front office. He started in Baltimore as a staff assistant in 1998, serving in that role until he became an area scout. He then became a national scout for three seasons and later served for 10 years as the Ravens’ director of college scouting. From 2019 to 2023, he served as their director of player personnel.
Chargers Assistant General Manager Chad Alexander: Alexander spent 20 seasons with the Ravens, where he worked alongside Hortiz. He joined Baltimore in 1999 and worked as a regional scout, pro scout and personnel assistant before spending his final nine seasons as the Ravens’ assistant director of pro personnel.
Corey Krawiec, Chargers director of player personnel strategy: Krawiec also has a connection to Hortiz as he was with the Ravens from 2013 to 2023. He was a personnel assistant/player analytics for three years before being elevated to head of evaluation and analytics players for the remainder of his stay in Baltimore.
Coaching staff
Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman: The architect of the offense that helped Lamar Jackson win his first NFL Most Valuable Player award in 2019 has also faced plenty of criticism from Ravens fans. Baltimore built the most productive ground game in NFL history, but never had a commensurate passing attack and went 1-3 in the playoffs during Roman’s tenure, this which led to his dismissal after the 2022 season.
Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter: A former college assistant, Minter coached his first four seasons in the NFL with the Ravens, before becoming defensive backs coach in 2020. He then became defensive coordinator at Michigan under Jim Harbaugh and won the 2023 national title before becoming the One of the first hires on Harbaugh’s Chargers staff.
Rick Minter, Chargers senior defensive analyst: Jesse’s father was the head coach at Cincinnati from 1994 to 2003, where he employed special teams coordinator John Harbaugh. Rick Minter also had future NFL coaches Mike Tomlin and Rex Ryan on his Bearcats staff.
Chargers senior offensive analyst Marc Trestman: The 36-year veteran coach and former Chicago Bears coach last served in the NFL as the Ravens’ offensive coordinator from 2015-16 before being fired and replaced by Marty Mornhinweg.
Andy Bischoff, Chargers game coordinator/tight ends coach: From 2015 to 2020, Bischoff served as a quality control coach, offensive assistant and assistant tight ends coach with the Ravens. Alongside Roman, he helped develop a tight end room that included Nick Boyle, Darren Waller, Hayden Hurst and Mark Andrews as well as fullbacks Kyle Juszczyk and Patrick Ricard.
Chargers offensive line coach Mike Devlin: The former NFL offensive lineman served as an assistant offensive line coach with the Ravens from 2022-23 under the late Joe D’Alessandris. During that span, Baltimore ranked No. 2 in the NFL in rushing offense, averaging 158.3 yards per game.
Players
Ravens outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy: The two-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots played one season with the Chargers in 2022. He recorded five sacks to help Los Angeles reach the playoffs, but the team blew a 27-7 lead at the halftime in a wild-card match. round-robin loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Chargers return JK Dobbins: The Ravens’ 2020 second-round pick never lived up to the hype in Baltimore due to a series of devastating injuries. A knee injury in the 2021 preseason finale ended his sophomore year before it began, and a torn Achilles tendon in the 2023 season opener left him without a a potential escape campaign. He signed a one-year, $1.6 million deal with the Chargers in the offseason and was productive.
Chargers return Gus Edwards: The 2018 undrafted free agent out of Rutgers became a fan favorite in Baltimore, known simply as “The Bus.” In five seasons with the Ravens, Edwards totaled 3,395 yards and 26 touchdowns. But he, like Dobbins, became expendable once the Ravens signed Derrick Henry this offseason and joined Los Angeles on a two-year, $6.5 million contract.
Hayden Hurst, Chargers tight end: Perhaps best known for being drafted by the Ravens ahead of Jackson in 2018, Hurst spent two seasons in Baltimore before being traded to the Atlanta Falcons before the 2020 season for the second-round pick that became Dobbins.
Chargers Center Bradley Bozeman: A sixth-round pick in the Ravens’ heralded 2018 draft class that produced Jackson, Hurst, Orlando Brown Jr., Mark Andrews, DeShon Elliott and Zach Sieler, Bozeman played both center and left guard in 62 games ( 49 starts) over four seasons. in Baltimore before signing a one-year, $2.8 million contract with the Panthers.
Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker: “Dicker the Kicker” briefly played for the Ravens in the 2022 preseason before ending up with the Chargers, where he made 93.2% of his field goal attempts in three seasons.
Tony Jefferson Magazine Safety: After spending his first four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, Jefferson signed a four-year, $34 million contract with the Ravens in 2017. He played a key role in the secondary from 2017 to 2019 and then joins the team in 2021. Jefferson worked as a scouting intern for the Ravens in 2023 under Hortiz, but came out of retirement this summer to sign with the Chargers and currently plays on the practice squad.
Chargers cornerback Shaun Wade: Wade’s tenure with the Ravens was brief, but notable. After being drafted in the fifth round in 2021, he was traded a few months later to New England, where he played three seasons. He currently plays on the Chargers’ practice squad.
Chargers cornerback Tarheeb Still: He has no connection to the Ravens, but Still was an All-Big Ten player at Maryland before being drafted in the fifth round and carving out a role as a starting rookie.
Chargers cornerback Cam Hart: The former Notre Dame star grew up in Baltimore and became friends with Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton when they played together for the Fighting Irish. Like Still, he secured a starting spot as a rookie.
Do you have a current tip? Contact sports editor CJ Doon at [email protected]410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon.
