SI

How John Harbaugh Reportedly Feels About Parting Ways With Ravens

The Ravens on Tuesday parted ways with Harbaugh after just the third losing season of the veteran coach's 18-year tenure in Baltimore.

Tim Capurso

Harbaugh spent 18 seasons in Baltimore.
Harbaugh spent 18 seasons in Baltimore. / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
In this story:

Tuesday ushered in the end of an era in Baltimore, as the Ravens parted ways with longtime coach John Harbaugh after 18 seasons. Harbaugh, who was the second-longest tenured coach in the NFL, won a Super Bowl and secured 180 career victories during his time with the Ravens, had to feel somewhat floored by the jarring change.

But beyond the disappointment, Harbaugh is reportedly feeling a sense of “peace” with what occurred Tuesday, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN.

“I spoke to someone close to John Harbaugh just minutes ago and he said that John is at peace with this decision,” Hensley said. “John believes this is best for both parties, and that it was time for a reset, including Lamar Jackson...”

Harbaugh expressed disappointment but also gratitude to the players, ownership, family and God in a statement Tuesday.

“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 earlier Tuesday. “It comes with disappointment, certainly, but more with gratitude and appreciation.”

Why did the Ravens fire John Harbaugh?

No one will truly know all of the reasons why Baltimore's ownership made the difficult decision that it did. But the Ravens opted to move on from Harbaugh partly due to the fact that the team believed he had lost the locker room, according to reporting from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Rapoport went on to note that Harbaugh and star quarterback Lamar Jackson were “not on the same page.” This comes on the heels of Dec. 23 column from Mike Preston of The Baltimore Sun, which painted a picture of a player seemingly disconnected from the team and coach. The report went as far to state that Jackson, a two-time NFL MVP, fell asleep during team meetings this season, a claim Jackson pushed back against. When asked about the column, Harbaugh said Jackson falling asleep in a meeting wasn't something he'd “ever witnessed.”

“...I had a great conversation with Lamar this morning about football, a few things, how he's feeling,” Harbaugh said on Christmas Eve. “Our relationship is A-plus. I love him. I always have. I always will...”

After winning the Super Bowl in the 2012 season, postseason success eluded Harbaugh, as he and the Ravens went just 4-7 in their next 11 postseason games.

“Our goal has always been and will always be to win championships,” Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said in a statement Tuesday. “We strive to consistently perform at the highest level on the field and be a team and organization our fans take price in. I will always be grateful for the extraordinary hard work and dedication displayed by John and his staff throughout the many successful years. I wish he, Ingrid and Alison all the best going forward.”

Is John Harbaugh still coaching?

So what's next for Harbaugh? According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Harbaugh, 63, intends on coaching in 2026. And the Perrysburg, Ohio, native figures to have no shortage of suitors, for his agent Bryan Harlan told ESPN's Adam Schefter that he had received calls from seven NFL teams inquiring about Harbaugh within the first hour after the Ravens parted ways with its longtime coach.

Harbaugh is expected to be the favorite to become the next head coach of the New York Giants, though the Titans, Cardinals, Browns, Raiders and Falcons also have vacancies at coach.

More NFL on Sports Illustrated

FREE NEWSLETTER. SI BTN Newsletter. Start off your day with SI:CYMI. dark

feed

Published
Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

Home/NFL