Ravens Prepare for Near-Complete Divisional HC Overhaul

The Baltimore Ravens electing to part ways with John Harbaugh at the very start of their offseason wasn't exactly a shock. That they gave the axe to their head coach of 18 years was always going to make for some interesting summer storylines, but this was coming off of an 8-9 regular season finish, and that was with championship expectations foisted on them all fall long.

Much more surprising than this has been the narrative that's emerged from their chief division rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers. They topped the Ravens in that dramatic regular season finale to advance to the playoffs, fully taking advantage of their mushy AFC North competition before getting pummeled in a swift exit from the Wild Card Round.

Within a day of that elimination, an ugly 30-6 defeat that extended their playoff losing streak to seven games, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin stepped down from his post as Pittsburgh's head coach. He was the longest tenured coach in the league at 19 seasons, accepting the role a year ahead of Harbaugh and outlasting him by about a week before leaving on his own terms.

This picture is crazy to think about

Look at how young John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin were pic.twitter.com/Qnf4U0gdz6
— Kevin Oestreicher (@koestreicher34) November 8, 2023

The Ravens, already occupied with locating a Harbaugh replacement in their fourth-ever head coaching search, are now just one of nine franchises in the hunt. Three of those openings are in their own division, promising the teams and the fans that follow them that the eliminated north will look considerably different when they return to the field later in 2026.

Swapping Jackets

The longtime Steelers coach's announcement was reported during a press conference held by Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti and General Manager Eric DeCosta, to which the owner got to react live in front of a gaggle of reporters.

When asked if Tomlin would be a candidate to fill Harbaugh's shoes, Bisciotti said, "Holy shit Mike, wouldn't that be awesome? Only if John takes the Pittsburgh job."

Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti on whether Mike Tomlin is a candidate for his team’s head coaching vacancy: pic.twitter.com/KqXP6EoxNU
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 13, 2026

While his next move is less clear than that of Harbaugh, who's spent his first week of unemployment touring around the NFL in researching his next available opportunities, such a swap would be admittedly unlikely. Tomlin would be more decorated than anyone else they're inspecting, but they're already a good deal through their interviews, now having completed nine formal sit-downs following their conversation with Browns Defensive Coordinator Mike Schwartz.

They've been one of the more adamant front offices in attempting to get into the Harbaugh business, and the Ravens have had no issue looking into Cleveland personnel, having already spoken to the Browns' own recently-dismissed head coach in Kevin Stefanski.

Former Baltimore Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh and Cleveland Browns Head Coach Kevin Stefanski — Oct 1, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh (left) talks with Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski before a game at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

He, along with Harbaugh and Tomlin, made for a prestigious band of coaches, having combined for two Super Bowl wins and three Coach of the Year victories in 43 combined seasons on their previous jobs.

There remains a chance that a few of these bitter northern adversaries could embark in their own version of musical chairs in swapping coaches, but whatever happens will change the division's trajectory going ahead.

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