ExtremeRavens Posted yesterday at 11:30 AM Posted yesterday at 11:30 AM So … now what? The Ravens on Tuesday expressed urgency for change as they parted ways with John Harbaugh, ending the second-longest coaching tenure in the NFL. Harbaugh’s departure also opened something far more complicated and equally exciting: Who will now be the Ravens’ most significant hire since 2008, the ever-important coach who will help define the remainder of Lamar Jackson’s prime with hopes of securing the franchise’s third Super Bowl title? How’s that for urgency? Harbaugh departs as the winningest coach in franchise history, a one-time Super Bowl champion and a stabilizing force who helped shape the franchise’s identity for nearly two decades. He also leaves at a time when stability slipped throughout the Ravens’ disappointing 2025 season that endured injuries, suffered in home attendance and ended in heartbreak. Owner Steve Bisciotti and general manager Eric DeCosta now face what Bisciotti described in a statement as an “exciting challenge.” This hire, the franchise’s incoming fourth coach, has to hit. Harbaugh’s greatest strength was always his ability to operate like a CEO coach. He oversaw the entire operation, relying on a handful of different coordinators over the years to direct the scheme. Harbaugh also was valued as a communicator and relationship builder. Different players often believed in his vision. Many still do. An assortment of Ravens, including veteran Marlon Humphrey, shared their parting sentiments across social media. “John Harbaugh. A good man,” Humphrey posted Tuesday night on X. The Ravens, though, reached an unraveling point in which belief no longer translated consistently to execution, particularly when the season and circumstances tightened before it all eventually crumbled. Missing the playoffs completely with Jackson under center, despite the injuries, proved to be a fireable offense. In other words, Harbaugh’s messaging ultimately became stale. Defensive veteran Roquan Smith revealed as much after Baltimore’s season-ending 26-24 loss to Pittsburgh. “The way this team is built, and the actual reality of it and the guys that we have, [we] know that playoffs is not enough,” Smith said. “I hear, ‘Coach this. Coach that.’ But at the end of the day, yes, [Harbaugh] can be here and there, but it’s the players that make the plays on the field, and [it’s] the players who go out there on the field. When I turn on the film … I felt like we were in really good calls, and it was about the players actually executing the call and not getting lackadaisical [or] complacent. “I feel like that’s something that we have to work on. I don’t know what it is, personally, but it’s something. It’s something where it’s … why can’t you do this, play in and play out, including myself? I feel like that’s something we have to do if we want to ever go and get over the hump, and I don’t truly know what it is.” Deflecting the brute of the criticism toward himself and his teammates was commendable. But Smith’s comments about not knowing why the same issues repeatedly occurred time and time again this season — the same sentiment could be said about the multiple late collapses Baltimore has endured in recent seasons — was more of an indictment on the preparation and execution of the entire Harbaugh-led operation. That can’t happen with this next important hire. Baltimore immediately surfaces as one of the NFL’s most attractive destinations during this coaching cycle. The Ravens are not in a rebuild like many other teams who’ve fired their coaches in recent days. Aside from identifying the team’s next leader, DeCosta has plenty of work in the coming months with retooling the roster. But for the most part, the Ravens should be considered a win-now organization with a two-time NFL Most Valuable Player under center. Maximizing what’s left of Jackson’s prime should be at the forefront of the organization’s thinking. The defense, which finished 24th in the league, also needs some necessary straightening. Regardless of the next hire’s coaching background, that person must bring with him the right peers and assistants to both reach and raise Jackson’s ceiling with offensive creativity. Harbaugh, meanwhile, has earned freedom to explore all of his options. “John’s a lock to find a job somewhere this cycle if he wants one,” one league source close to Harbaugh messaged me shortly after the news broke. If the right opportunity doesn’t present itself, it wouldn’t be surprising if Harbaugh, 63, chooses to step away for a year, whether to recharge with family, explore media opportunities or simply wait for an ideal situation that aligns with everything he’s looking for at his next stop as he attempts to solidify his coaching legacy. He’s earned that. The Ravens, however, must continue to act with urgency. Bisciotti exuded as much when he bid farewell to Harbaugh. Choosing apparent necessary change was only step one. Now Bisciotti and DeCosta are responsible for what comes next. It better be a hit. Have a news tip? Contact Josh Tolentino at jtolentino@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200, x.com/JCTSportsand instagram.com/JCTSports. The Ravens were consistently one of the AFC's best teams under John Harbaugh, pictured in May, but the franchise won only one Super Bowl over his 18 seasons. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) View the full article Quote
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