Ravens Fire John Harbaugh After 18 Seasons and Playoff Miss

The NFL’s Black Monday extended into Tuesday with one of the most seismic coaching dismissals in recent history, as John Harbaugh is no longer with the Baltimore Ravens.

Harbaugh had been with the Ravens for 18 years, was the second-most-tenured coach in the league, behind the Steelers’ Mike Tomlin, and led Baltimore to a Super Bowl XLVII title. His 180 regular-season wins is 14th in NFL history.

The firing, however, arrived two days after the Ravens lost on Sunday Night Football to the archrival Steelers, missing a last-second field-goal attempt and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2021. It has been a run of disappointment for Harbaugh while he’s had quarterback Lamar Jackson, a two-time NFL Most Valuable Player. With Jackson for the past eight seasons, Harbaugh has won just three playoff games and never reached a Super Bowl.

“This was an incredibly difficult decision, given the tremendous 18 years we have spent together and the profound respect I have for John as a coach and, most importantly, as a great man of integrity,” said Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti.

“We fully understand the expectations of our fans and everyone in the Ravens organization. Finding another strong leader and partner who will reflect these high standards is paramount,” he said.

The Ravens’ coaching opening is now one of seven around the league as this year’s Black Monday was another busy one. The other teams with vacancies include the Browns, Cardinals, Falcons, Giants, Raiders, and Titans. Some of those teams are expected to now have interest in Harbaugh. 

None of those teams or their ousted coaches, however, have had the level of success that Harbaugh and the Ravens had. It was expected, though, that the loser of the Steelers-Ravens game on SNF, a winner-take-all clash for the AFC North division title, could be dismissed. Even with the victory, Tomlin is still eyed as a future broadcasting star. 

Harbaugh, meanwhile, signed a three-year extension prior to this season and is under contract through the 2028 season. He earned $16 million this year, tied for fourth-highest in the league.