Ravens Block Lateral Offers for Special Teams Coordinator

The Baltimore Ravens are in the midst of a head coach search this offseason, looking for the next leader of the franchise.

Baltimore moved on from former head coach John Harbaugh after this season, ending an 18-year reign at the helm of almost everything the team did.

The Ravens now have to find a new head coach this offseason, one that can follow from Harbaugh, who made the postseason 12 times, won six AFC North Division Titles and also Super Bowl XLVII.

Baltimore also has to make decisions on their staff for next year, who they'll keep and who they'll move on from the previous regime,

Ravens Keeping Special Teams Coordinator

Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported on Twitter that Ravens special teams coordinator Chris Horton is one of a few coaches that the team has blocked from making a lateral move to a different NFL team.

#Ravens special teams coordinator Chris Horton is among a handful of coaches the team has blocked for lateral moves, sources say. His assistant Anthony Levine Sr. and senior ST coach Randy Brown might also be retained, pending the new HC hire. pic.twitter.com/piSeRNCGlI
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 20, 2026

Garaflolo also reported that there is a chance that both senior special teams coach Randy Brown and Anthony Levine Sr. will also have a good shot at getting retained for next season, depending on who the Ravens hire as their next head coach.

Horton has spent the past 12 seasons with the Ravens, working as an assistant special teams coach for five seasons (2014-18) then the past seven seasons as special teams coordinator (2019-25).

He has had success during that time with Baltimore, with five Pro Bowlers coming from his special teams unit.

This includes seven-time Pro Bowl kicker Justin Tucker (2013, 2016, 2019-23), four-time Pro Bowl long snapper Morgan Cox (2015-16, 2019-20), plus two-time Pro Bowl return specialist Devin Duvernay (2019-20), plus punters in Jordan Stout (2025) and Sam Koch (2015).

Jan 4, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens place kicker Justin Tucker (9) kicks off as punter Jordan Stout (11) holds during the first quarter against the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Horton also has helped the Ravens excel in many areas on special teams, ranking second with 11.1 yards per punt return, fourth with 19 punt returns of 20 yards or more, sixth with 22.0 opponent yards per kickoff and tied for sixth with three kick return touchdowns heading into the 2025 season.

The Ravens have also had one of the best DVOA ratings on special teams, according to Football Outsiders, with top five rankings in the first five seasons under Horton.

Horton also did well with replacing Tucker, bringing in rookie Tyler Loop, a sixth-round draft selection out of Arizona, who went 30-of-34 on field goals and 44-of-46 on PATs.

Punter Jordan Stout had his best season yet, averaging a career-high 50.1 yards per punt, with 24 punts inside an opponent's 20-yard line, 45.3%. This earned him his first Pro Bowl nod and First Team All-Pro honor.

The Ravens have interviewed 14 different candidates for their next head coach, but it makes perfect sense why they'd want to keep Horton for 2026.

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