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John Harbaugh was fired after 18 seasons as coach of the Baltimore Ravens.
Owner Steve Bisciotti said Tuesday he relieved Harbaugh of his duties after the Ravens became one of the league's most disappointing teams this season. They went 8–9 and missed the playoffs after entering Week 1 as one of the Super Bowl favorites. Baltimore's season ended Sunday night when Tyler Loop missed a last-second field goal, allowing Pittsburgh to hold on for a 26-24 win in a game that decided the AFC North title.
“This was an incredibly difficult decision given the incredible 18 years we have spent together and the deep respect I have for John as a coach and, most importantly, as a great man of integrity,” Bisciotti said in a statement. “Throughout his Hall of Fame coaching career, John led Baltimore to a Super Bowl victory and served as a strong pillar of humility and leadership.”
Harbaugh went 193–124, including the postseason. He led the Ravens to the 2012 Super Bowl title and reached the AFC Championship Game three more times. This season marked only the sixth time Baltimore missed the postseason under Harbaugh. The Ravens won the AFC North that many times under his leadership.
But most of Baltimore's postseason success came in its first few seasons. In his first five years as coach, the Ravens made it to the AFC title game three times, culminating with a wild card Super Bowl title when Harbaugh beat his brother Jim's San Francisco 49ers for the title.
Harbaugh was 9-4 in the postseason at that point, but was just 4-7 after that. After three straight seasons without making the playoffs, Lamar Jackson arrived in 2018 and led Baltimore to the division title. But Harbaugh's only trip to the AFC title game with Jackson was wasted two seasons ago when Baltimore lost at home to Kansas City.
“Well, I had hoped to someday receive a different message on my last day here, but today is the day,” Harbaugh said in a statement. “Of course, this is accompanied by disappointment, but more by GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION. Kudos to the owner and organization that were willing to bring in a head coach who has made his mark with special teams success. A difficult task, and Gratitude for all the moments, all these years, which are captured in eternity.”
This season has been a complete mess from the start, with Baltimore looking great for most of their opening game against Buffalo before taking a late lead. Indeed, squandering significant advantages has been a troubling trend for the Ravens over Harbaugh's last few seasons. Over the past six seasons, the Ravens have built double-digit second-half leads 10 times. No other team has done this more than seven times.
After a hamstring injury sidelined Jackson, Baltimore went 1-5 in 2025. Harbaugh and the Ravens battled back into contention and eventually reached Sunday's winner-take-all game as the favorite to beat the Steelers. But despite Derrick Henry's early dominance on the floor and Jackson's sensational fourth quarter, another season ended in agony.
If this departure was a result of this defeat – which is not necessarily obvious – then missing a shot at the end could have a domino effect throughout the league. If he chooses to coach next season, Harbaugh could very well be the hottest man on the market, and the job in Baltimore could be the best one available, given the short-term options with Jackson at quarterback and the organization's reputation for stability.
Of course, Harbaugh was an important part of that stability. He was the coach for more than half of the Ravens' existence. When Baltimore has had to make personnel changes, things have often gone quite well. Mike McDonald was so good as a defensive coordinator in 2023 that he became Seattle's head coach. Todd Monken took over as offensive coordinator in '23, and Jackson immediately won his second MVP.
Now the Ravens are in for a change. It wasn't hard to see it coming, considering how far behind they were this season, plus what seemed like a possible rift with Jackson. It was hard to tell how injured the star quarterback was, and Harbaugh's optimism about it didn't always pan out. Week 18 saw Jackson complete a full week of practice for the first time since early November.
Harbaugh said at the end of the season that he and Jackson had an “A-plus” relationship, and Jackson said he wanted to stay in Baltimore.
