Fired John Harbaugh Already A Candidate For Job With Two Other Teams

John Harbaugh has been fired by the Baltimore Ravens. And he immediately becomes the hottest coaching prospect in the current coaching cycle.

Harbaugh Bids Farewell

Harbaugh released a statement through the Ravens:

"Well, I was hoping for a different kind of message on my last day here, someday, but that day has come today," Harbaugh said in a statement released by the Ravens. "It comes with disappointment certainly, but more with GRATITUDE & APPRECIATION."

Harbaugh's statement is something of a thank you as well as a farewell. It ends with a statement of the same faith which often guided his tenure:

"Finally, to the author and finisher of our faith, Gratitude for a Journey beyond anything I could have dreamed of on my own," Harbaugh said. "All is well with my soul because of the Good God who guides and sustains me"

New York Giants Are Harbaugh Option

The idea Harbaugh will immediately be a hot commodity on the hiring front comes with an if … If he wants to coach. 

And he does.

He let his assistant coaches and others know those intentions minutes after his meeting with owner Steve Bisciotti ended.

So, option One: The New York Giants.

Harbaugh has relationship ties with the Mara family, which matters. But beyond that, Giants general manager Joe Schoen values Harbaugh and wants to include Harbaugh in that team's search for a successor to Brian Daboll. 

The Giants fully intend to go through the hiring process they set for weeks before the season ended, but this was a contingency Schoen considered in his preparations, per a source.

Feb 25, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Other Clubs Will Discuss Harbaugh

Schoen also has been considering Cleveland Browns fired head coach Kevin Stefanski, per a source.

Harbaugh is nonetheless a top target in New York and probably elsewhere. 

Where?

The Cleveland Browns were dear to Harbaugh growing up but it's unclear if he wants a change of pace from the AFC North where he spent much of the past two decades. The idea of beating his old team might be appealing to Harbaugh.

The Falcons will discuss Harbaugh, per a source.

The Miami Dolphins, who still have a coach in Mike McDaniel but have not committed to bringing him back for 2026, are expected to discuss Harbaugh internally, per a source. Owner Stephen Ross is a big fan of Jim Harbaugh and thus will be curious about potentially upgrading to a Super Bowl winning coach who has a 180-113 (.614 winning percentage) regular season record and took his Ravens to the playoffs 12 of his 18 seasons.

The Dolphins have not won a playoff game since December of 2000, the NFL's longest playoff win drought. Harbaugh has won 13 playoff games since he took over as Ravens coach.

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Raiders Not A Likely Option

One team with a vacancy Harbaugh will likely not consider, per a source: The Las Vegas Raiders.

It's not so much that their roster needs significant upgrade and their quarterback situation is in flux,it's simply that Harbaugh won't likely be a fan of facing brother Jim Harbaugh twice per season every year in the AFC West.

The two brothers competed against one another as kids. But this is different. This is actively trying to hurt a family member and the duo didn't enjoy that after they played each other in Super Bowl XLVII in 2013.

Harbaugh, again, will have other options. He is 14th all-time in regular-season wins. 

So why is Harbaugh even available?

(Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images)

Harbaugh-Jackson Dynamic Questioned

His club missed the playoffs this season. That wasn't totally it.

After the loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers which eliminated the Ravens, quarterback Lamar Jackson declined to endorse Harbaugh to return next year and even left open the possibility he might not return next season.

The relationship between those two, although not considered to be strained, was perhaps not quite as strong as it seemed in public when the coach repeatedly supported the player.

That and years of falling just short in big games – mostly in the playoffs – eventually led to questions whether Harbaugh's messaging had grown stale in Baltimore. Hey, teams have gotten rid of great coaches before for similar reasons.

"Following a comprehensive evaluation of the season and the overall direction of our organization, I decided to make a change at head coach," Bisciotti said in a statement. "Today I informed John that he has been relieved of his duties.

"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."

The sense here is the Ravens may live to regret this.

The sense here is Harbaugh will definitely have options if he decides to keep coaching.