ExtremeRavens Posted Tuesday at 10:50 PM Posted Tuesday at 10:50 PM The Ravens will have a new coach for the first time in nearly two decades to start the 2026 season. Baltimore fired coach John Harbaugh on Tuesday, deciding to move away from him after 18 seasons with the franchise. Here’s what The Baltimore Sun’s sports staff has to say about the franchise’s decision to fire Harbaugh: Brian Wacker, reporter Where there is smoke there is usually fire. Speculation over John Harbaugh’s future had been widespread and started to gain traction in recent weeks. Sunday night’s loss in Pittsburgh all but cemented the decision by owner Steve Bisciotti, who along with Harbaugh, has taken postseason defeats each of the past two seasons particularly hard. After 18 years, Bisciotti felt it was time to move on, with a need for an organizational reset, even with three years remaining on his contract, which Harbaugh signed less than a year ago. Harbaugh was just the third coach in the Ravens’ 30-year history when he was hired from relative anonymity in 2008. It turned out to be a fruitful decision, with Baltimore winning the Super Bowl in 2013 and Harbaugh eventually becoming the winningest coach in team history. But after reaching the AFC title game in the 2023 season, there has been a steady and familiar decline. Baltimore lost in the division round last season and didn’t even make the playoffs this year, going from the Super Bowl favorite to an 8-9 disaster and out of the playoffs altogether. That the season ended the same way it had so many times was likely what ended what had been the second-longest tenure in the NFL. Sam Cohn, reporter This was of course thought to be a possibility after such a disappointing season in Baltimore. But there’s still plenty of shock factor when the Ravens cut ties with their leader of 18 years, the second-longest active coach in the NFL. Harbaugh is sure to be a top coaching candidate in this cycle. But it’s clear his messaging and direction became stale. The Ravens were ousted from the playoffs three (arguably four) by one memorable play. But the point is, they’ve been Super Bowl contenders a perennial playoff teams who simply have not gotten over the hump. Baltimore can’t afford to not capitalize on the Lamar Jackson era. This signals owner Steve Bisciotti’s willingness for change and urgency to win now. So begins the search. Michael Howes, reporter Well, it happened. There had to be a scapegoat. You can’t fire the starting quarterback who missed four games and was absent from practice half the season, but is a two-time Most Valuable Player. General manager Eric DeCosta isn’t going to fire himself, either. Still, changes needed to be made after missing the playoffs with a talented roster. But maybe it will be for the better. Harbaugh won just four playoff games since winning Super Bowl XLVII. That’s not going to cut it with an MVP quarterback on the roster. Where the Ravens go next is crucial. Hire an offensive-minded coach to work with Lamar Jackson? Surely there’s no in-house options — one that existed two seasons ago with defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, who has since led the Seattle Seahawks to the No. 1 seed. Something was going to happen. And the Ravens now have to center their approach on getting the most out of Jackson while they can. Josh Tolentino, columnist Two straight seasons of postseason regression, punctuated by Baltimore’s brutal playoff absence this campaign was finally enough for owner Steve Bisciotti. John Harbaugh’s 18-year tenure comes to a screeching halt after the Ravens woefully disappointed in a season that saw quarterback Lamar Jackson miss four games with various injuries. Some might insist Jackson refusing to acknowledge a question Sunday night about Harbaugh’s future as emotional, but the two-time NFL MVP’s non-response to not back the coach was just as telling. Missing the dance in Jackson’s age 28 season amid a weaker conference field proved to be a fireable offense. As Bisciotti navigates uncharted territory, he and general manager Eric DeCosta, who appears to be safe for now, must prioritize identifying a coach who’ll help maximize the remainder of Jackson’s prime. Bennett Conlin, editor You’ll hear the phrase “the grass isn’t always greener” uttered plenty of times this week in reference to this move. Tell that to the Seattle Seahawks, who moved on from Super Bowl winner Pete Carroll and now are perhaps the best team in the NFL under Mike Macdonald. The Ravens just went 8-9 with the best quarterback on the planet in Lamar Jackson and a future Hall of Fame running back in Derrick Henry. The roster is far from perfect — general manager Eric DeCosta deserves plenty of blame for this season — and Jackson was not 100% this season, but there was enough on the team to win the middling AFC North. The Ravens constantly got in their own way in 2025, suggesting maybe Harbaugh’s message had grown stale. Baltimore wants a Super Bowl with Jackson. Harbaugh wasn’t getting it done. This is a worthwhile risk for the Ravens, and I’m betting the grass will be greener than some analysts believe. Have a news tip? Contact Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. View the full article Quote
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