Baltimore Ravens fire head coach John Harbaugh after 18 seasons

The Baltimore Ravens have fired head coach John Harbaugh after 18 seasons with the franchise, the team announced Tuesday.

"This was an incredibly difficult decision, given the tremendous 18 years we have spent together and the profound respect I have for John as a coach and, most importantly, as a great man of integrity," Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said in a statement. "Throughout what I firmly believe is a Hall of Fame coaching career, John has delivered a Super Bowl championship to Baltimore and served as a steadfast pillar of humility and leadership. He and his family have deeply embedded themselves in this community. For these profound contributions, on and off the field, we should all be forever grateful."

The Ravens finished the regular season 8-9 after a 26-24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18, failing to make the postseason for the first time since 2021. They lost the game after rookie Tyler Loop missed a potential game-winning field goal as time expired, robbing the Ravens of the AFC North crown and a playoff berth.

Baltimore hired Harbaugh in January 2008 after he had spent 10 seasons as an assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles, largely as special teams coordinator. He entered this season as the second-longest-tenured coach in the NFL.

Harbaugh found immediate success with the Ravens, going 11-5 in his first season and making the AFC championship game. Baltimore earned playoff berths in each of his first five seasons, winning the Super Bowl after the 2012 season in a game Harbaugh coached against his brother, Jim.

The Ravens struggled in the middle of the 2010s, making the playoffs only once from 2013 to 2017.

The franchise’s fortunes were revived, however, after it drafted quarterback Lamar Jackson, who was selected with the last pick of the first round in the 2018 NFL draft. From that year through last season, Baltimore made the playoffs six out of seven times but advanced to the AFC championship game only once.

Harbaugh has gone only 3-6 in his last nine playoff games after having started his career with a 10-5 mark in the postseason. Three times since 2018, the Ravens have been one-and-done in the playoffs, including after a 14-2 regular season in 2019.

Baltimore has been criticized under Harbaugh for not being able to finish games against top opponents. The Ravens have lost several close games to other Super Bowl contenders in recent years, including a 27-25 loss to the Buffalo Bills in last season’s playoffs, a 41-40 loss to the Bills to open this season and a 38-30 loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 3.

Over the last five years, Baltimore has lost 12 games in which it held at least a seven-point lead in the fourth quarter, the most such losses in the NFL in that time, per CBS Sports.

Against the Steelers in the regular-season finale, the Ravens led 10-0 and also led twice in the fourth quarter before they ultimately lost.

Harbaugh’s relationship with Jackson has also come under scrutiny. In December, The Baltimore Sun reported Harbaugh had grown tired of Jackson, a claim Harbaugh denied.

“Our relationship is A-plus,” Harbaugh said of Jackson in December. “So I love him. Always have, always will. And I know he’s fighting like crazy to get back.”

Asked Sunday after the loss to Pittsburgh whether he wanted Harbaugh to return, Jackson told reporters he wasn’t in a position to think that far ahead.

“I’m so caught up in what just happened tonight, I can’t focus on that right now,” he said. “I’m stunned right now. I’m still trying to process what’s going on.”

Bisciotti said the franchise will immediately look for his successor.

"We now begin the challenging, but exciting, process of identifying the next leader of our football team," he said. "We fully understand the expectations of our fans and everyone in the Ravens organization. Finding another strong leader and partner who will reflect these high standards is paramount.

"We deeply appreciate our fans and will continue to work relentlessly to bring them, our city and the extended community the success they deserve."