After losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers and missing the playoffs, the Baltimore Ravens decided that they needed a change in scenery. The team fired head coach John Harbaugh after 18 seasons with the team. While there were whispers that Harbaugh's job was on the line in the final game of the season, the news still came as a surprise to many.
The firing wasn't a complete shock to everyone, though. It seemed like the Ravens players were at least bracing for the change to happen. When asked about Harbaugh's firing, one player told Jamison Henley that the move wasn't a total surprise to him.
“One player summed it up as ‘surprised but not shocked,'” Henley wrote for ESPN. “After the season-ending loss in Pittsburgh, Jackson was asked whether he wanted Harbaugh to remain as coach. Jackson declined to talk about anything regarding the future, saying, ‘I'm stunned right now, and I'm still trying to process what's going on.'”
Harbaugh became the Ravens' head coach in 2008. During his 18-year tenure as head coach, he compiled a 180-113 record. Harbaugh's Ravens won the AFC North eight times, reaching the AFC Championship Game five times, and winning the Super Bowl in 2012 against the San Francisco 49ers.
The Ravens have been a pretty good team in the regular season when they're healthy. With quarterback Lamar Jackson as a yearly MVP candidate and Derrick Henry's arrival in the last few years, Baltimore has made it to the postseason multiple times. However, they've struggled once they're in the postseason, making it to the AFCCG once since the Super Bowl win.
The 2025 season has been a disaster for the Ravens. After Lamar Jackson suffered an injury earlier this season, Baltimore fell to a 1-5 record through six games. Jackson eventually did return to the team, but his nagging injury hampered his play. Despite these setbacks, Baltimore was able to force a do-or-die game in Week 18 against the Steelers for the division.
Unfortunately, the Ravens squandered their opportunity to make a legendary comeback this season. Now, they are going to look for that next coach to usher in a new era.
