It always felt like losing the decisive AFC North game on Sunday Night Football between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers would result in a coach being fired.
And that’s what happened.
The Ravens fired John Harbaugh on Tuesday, which will spark an NFL coaching gold rush like we’ve never seen before.
The reasoning for firing Harbaugh is actually quite logical. He is 63 years old. He’s not exactly Pete Carroll, but he’s certainly not Sean McVay either. Sure, the Ravens dealt with an unfathomable number of injuries this season, but the AFC North was a joke, Lamar Jackson regressed, and it felt like the organization was siding with their new 29-year-old quarterback.
But one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, or something like that. Because it’s unfair to call Harbaugh trash. In his 18 seasons with the Ravens, Baltimore only had an average below .500 three times.
According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, Harbaugh should be an extremely hot commodity. In fact, teams that have yet to fire their head coach are calling Harbaugh’s representatives to explore their interest.
Let’s say you were the Miami Dolphins. It’s likely that Mike McDaniel enters next season on the hot seat with a gigantic question mark at quarterback and a Tyreek Hill-sized hole at wide receiver. You probably want Harbaugh.
Let’s say you were the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. You play in the most hilarious division in football, you have a competent quarterback with a decent roster. You probably want Harbaugh.
Let’s say you were the New York Jets. You need a quarterback, but that could be resolved in free agency, via a trade, or with the No. 2 overall pick because of what happened at the deadline. You probably regret giving Aaron Glenn a five-year contract.
The list is long.
Harbaugh will undoubtedly have his pick in terms of coaching options in 2026. Also keep an eye on what happens in the NFL playoffs this weekend. If a team like the Steelers or Green Bay Packers were to go completely extinct, there would be a prime candidate on the open market.
The winning coach of Super Bowl XLVII will obviously choose the best destination.
Of the current openings, the New York Giants could be interesting, depending on how he feels about Jaxson Dart. The Las Vegas Raiders have the No. 1 overall pick, but that would depend on how Harbaugh likes Fernando Mendoza.
The Harbaugh watch is officially on. It wouldn’t be surprising if teams fired their coaches just to have a chance to recruit him.
