John Harbaugh has been sacked by the Baltimore Ravens after 18 seasons as head coach, following Sunday's season‑ending defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The dramatic 26-24 loss - in which kicker Tyler Loop missed a last‑gasp 44‑yard field goal - saw the Steelers clinch the AFC North title and the final remaining playoff spot at the expense of their fierce rivals.
It was the Ravens' first playoff miss since 2021 and the sixth - and final - of Harbaugh's tenure, with Baltimore's 8-9 record ultimately costing him his job.
"Well, I was hoping for a different kind of message on my last day here someday, but that day has come today," Harbaugh said in a statement.
"It comes with disappointment certainly, but more with GRATITUDE & APPRECIATION. 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."
Harbaugh took the reins in 2008 and led the Ravens to glory in Super Bowl XLVII in 2012 as well the AFC Championship game on three occasions.
"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," owner Steve Bisciotti said.
"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."
The Ravens' hierarchy opted to dismiss Harbaugh after a disappointing campaign defined by repeated fourth‑quarter collapses.
An early‑season injury to star quarterback Lamar Jackson contributed to a 1-5 start in 2025, though Harbaugh eventually steered Baltimore back into contention and into Sunday's winner‑takes‑all showdown with Pittsburgh.
The Ravens entered the game as favourites but, despite Derrick Henry's early dominance on the ground and Jackson's sensational fourth quarter, their season ended in excruciating fashion once again.
Your Site NFL's Neil Reynolds expects teams to move quickly to acquire Harbaugh's services and warns the Ravens could face a spell of uncertainty after dismissing their Super Bowl‑winning coach.
"Harbaugh was one of the best, one of the safest head coaches in the NFL," he told the Inside the Huddle podcast.
"This is the biggest head coach to hit the open market since Andy Reid was fired by Philadelphia, who went straight to Kansas City and started building a Super Bowl champion.
"It's incredible how much interest there already is out there for John Harbaugh, but it's not surprising given his pedigree. According to Harbaugh's agent, he's received calls from seven teams, and there are reports it is as many as nine, which means some teams are still considering their current head coach."
Reynolds added: "The Ravens now enter a period of uncertainty. The stability they had, the stability teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers have with Mike Tomlin. How many times do we see teams roll through coaches after a long period?
"They're about to enter a period where they don't know whether the new coach is going to be successful. You knew what you had with Harbaugh. He may have lost the locker room, and I understand the benefit of a fresh voice, but the Ravens are entering a period where they could roll through coaches every three years."
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