John Harbaugh’s time with the Baltimore Ravens is over.
The longtime Ravens head coach has been relieved of his duties after 18 seasons in Baltimore, the team announced Tuesday. The decision came two days after the Ravens were knocked out of postseason contention following their 26-24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“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,” Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said in a statement. “Throughout what I firmly believe is a Hall of Fame coaching career, John has delivered a Super Bowl championship to Baltimore and served as a steadfast pillar of humility and leadership. He and his family have deeply embedded themselves in this community. For these profound contributions, on and off the field, we should all be forever grateful.”
“Well, I was hoping for a different kind of message on my last day here, someday, but that day has come today. 😊 It comes with disappointment certainly, but more with GRATITUDE & APPRECIATION,” Harbaugh wrote in a statement. “Gratitude to the owner and organization who was willing to bring in a head coach who made his mark with Special Teams success. A difficult thing to do … and Appreciation for all the moments, all these years, that are etched into eternity. I hope a legacy built on Faith, always Fighting, always Believing.”
[Read more: 2026 NFL Coaching/GM Tracker]
Harbaugh went 180-113 over his 18 seasons with the Ravens, helping Baltimore win a Super Bowl title in 2012. He also helped the Ravens reach the AFC Championship Game on three other occasions. This season was only the sixth time Baltimore missed the postseason under Harbaugh. That’s the same number of times the Ravens won the AFC North with him at the helm.
But most of Baltimore’s postseason success came in his first few seasons. The Ravens went to the AFC title game three times in his first five years as coach, culminating in their run to a Super Bowl title as a wild card, when Harbaugh beat his brother Jim’s San Francisco 49ers for the title.
At that point, Harbaugh was 9-4 in the postseason, but after that, he was just 4-7. After three straight seasons without a playoff berth, Lamar Jackson arrived in 2018 and led Baltimore to a division title. But Harbaugh’s lone trip to an AFC title game with Jackson was wasted two seasons ago when Baltimore lost at home to Kansas City.
This season was a mess pretty much from the start, when Baltimore looked great for much of its opener at Buffalo before blowing a late lead. Indeed, squandering fourth-quarter advantages became a troubling trend for the Ravens in Harbaugh’s last few seasons, and after a hamstring injury sidelined Jackson, Baltimore stumbled to a 1-5 start in 2025.
Harbaugh and the Ravens worked their way back into contention and eventually reached Sunday’s winner-take-all matchup as a favorite to beat the Steelers. But despite Derrick Henry’s early dominance on the ground and Jackson’s sensational fourth quarter, another season ended in excruciating fashion.
Harbaugh had three years remaining on his contract and is now reportedly expected to be one of the top candidates on the coaching carousel. FOX Sports’ Henry McKenna ranked Harbaugh as the top head coach candidate this offseason, placing him over the likes of former Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski and Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores. He’s expected to emerge as a favorite for the New York Giants‘ head coach vacancy, ESPN reported.
The Ravens’ job will also likely become one of the top head coach vacancies this offseason. FOX Sports’ Ben Arthur ranked Baltimore’s opening as the top head coach vacancy this offseason among the seven teams looking for a new head coach.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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