Tom Pelissero Tosses Out New Name for Ravens HC Job

One of the densest head coach hiring cycles in recent NFL history continues adding talent, with 10 different franchises electing for a fresh start at the position just halfway through the playoffs, including the Baltimore Ravens.

John Harbaugh was the first A-list item to hit free agency upon his firing from the Ravens, with the organization making the announcement just two days into their early offseason. He was the biggest story out there until Mike Tomlin quit his longtime post at the head of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the lone former head coach to get the jump on the team. Now, another juicy job has opened up in the form of the Buffalo Bills' vacancy.

Sean McDermott rode Josh Allen into one of the most consistently-winning operations over his nine years in charge of the Bills, at least during the regular season. His teams could never get over the playoff hunt, falling into a familiar Patrick Mahomes trap that Baltimorians can relate to with ease. The only squad that they seemed capable of regularly topping during the postseason were, unfortunately for already-suffering Ravens fans, the Ravens.

Baltimore Ravens Quarterback Lamar Jackson and Buffalo Bills Quarterback Josh Allen — Dec 8, 2019; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) greets Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) following the game at New Era Field. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

Buffalo's most recent disappointment, a 33-30 second-round loss to the top-seeded Denver Broncos, resulted in McDermott's castoff. The veteran is back up for grabs, and the Ravens are favored as an ideal landing spot for the grizzled defensive specialist.

"It doesn't make a ton of sense for him to go into a total rebuild, he's 51 years old, been there every year, been in the playoffs," NFL insider Tom Pelissero said on the Rich Eisen Show. "Baltimore is certainly one that I can see making a lot of sense for Sean McDermott."

💻 @TomPelissero

Who's on #BillsMafia head coach radar after they fired Sean McDermott after nine seasons?#NFL #NFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/L35OS15kts
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) January 19, 2026

Does Baltimore Need McDermott?

Few coaches were as qualified at churning out regular double-digit win seasons as McDermott was up north, having done so over the last seven consecutive years. His iron man of an MVP surely aided that record, but there's no taking away the coach's franchise record regular season win rate of 66.2%.

But in a way, that reliability contributed to his undoing. The Bills never managed to back those gaudy numbers up with a long playoff run, another dilemma that the Ravens understand all too well. Lamar Jackson has as many rings to show for himself as Allen does.

Ravens management may be tempted by proven game-managers, but what they're looking for sounds a lot closer to a new-age play-caller. They want someone with a fresh voice and a schematic advantage, as impressive as some of McDermott's defenses were.

Baltimore Ravens Owner Steve Bisciotti — Sep 22, 2014; Owings Mills, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti speaks during press conference at Under Armour Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

He'd get the best chance of immediately returning to dominance in Baltimore compared to most of the other open head coaching jobs around the league, but the Ravens have a lot of other candidates to pore through in evaluating their best fits for the future.

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