John Harbaugh Has Next Destination in Mind After Ravens Firing

John Harbaugh isn’t hanging up the headset anytime soon. All signs point to him coaching in 2026. It’s just a matter of which sideline he’s standing on.

This week is shaping up to be a big checkpoint. Harbaugh is expected to map out his interview slate, and the market around him is already heating up. Seven teams hit up Harbaugh's agent within 24 hours of his availability going public. Since then? Two more teams have jumped into the huddle.

Bottom line: Harbaugh is one of the hottest names on the coaching carousel. Not every franchise with an opening may see him as their QB of the future, but it’d be a shock if a coach with his résumé didn’t land somewhere this cycle. The phones are ringing , now it’s just about where he takes the next snap.

Two New Front-Runners in John Harbaugh Sweepstakes

According to Yahoo Sports on X, the New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons are the two teams sitting at the top of John Harbaugh’s board right now, and the feeling appears mutual.

Coaching candidates believe the race for John Harbaugh is down to Giants and the Falcons, per @Connor_J_Hughes

The expectation is the runner-up would turn its focus to Kevin Stefanski. pic.twitter.com/2hX2eAaRgV
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) January 12, 2026

New York, in particular, is pushing its chips to the middle of the table. Sources told SNY the Giants are all-in on Harbaugh, with the veteran coach sitting firmly at No. 1 on their wish list. There’s strong backing inside the building, led by co-owner Steve Tisch, and it’s not just a top-floor push, the buy-in reportedly runs throughout the organization. Internally, Harbaugh checks every box: culture builder, tone setter, and a proven CEO-type head coach.

The real question is simple: Does Harbaugh want Big Blue or does he want the Falcons?

Don’t sleep on Atlanta, though. The Falcons are very much in the hunt, and around the league, there’s a growing belief among coaching candidates that this could come down to a Giants vs. Falcons showdown, with the runner-up pivoting quickly toward Kevin Stefanski.

The Miami Dolphins have also sniffed around, but they’ve already locked in their GM decision with Jon-Eric Sullivan, which could complicate the fit. And with Wild Card Weekend looming, more vacancies could still pop open and reshuffle the board.

Harbaugh's Legacy with Ravens

As for Harbaugh’s résumé? It speaks for itself. In his 18th season, he’s the NFL’s second-longest-tenured head coach behind Mike Tomlin, and his 193 career wins are tied with Chuck Knox for 12th most all time. That said, teams will note Baltimore’s struggles in tight games. The Ravens went 0–4 this season in contests decided by five points or fewer, and under Harbaugh, they’re 45–61 in those nail-biters since 2008.

Clarity is coming. Once Harbaugh’s interviews start stacking up this week, we’ll get a much better sense of which franchises he’s truly eyeing. Don’t expect a deal to cross the goal line just yet, but the coaching carousel is officially spinning, and Harbaugh is one of the biggest names driving it.

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