John Harbaugh's legacy faces defining moment In 2025

There's no question, after 17 years, that the Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh is among the best in the NFL. He's a top-five, maybe even top-three, head coach in the NFL. His resume is equally impressive, especially since he has won with two different franchise quarterbacks: Joe Flacco and now Lamar Jackson. Not many coaches in league history can say that. He's won countless regular-season and postseason games, and in 2012, he won his first Super Bowl. Since then, he has searched for his second title.

With Jackson at the helm and in his prime, Harbaugh has his best chance to win his second Super Bowl, but they'll have to break the glass ceiling of the AFC's elite teams, such as the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs, in January to get there. Harbaugh must lead the talented team to a Super Bowl, and many eyes will be on him in 2025.

Harbaugh can see his second Lombardi Trophy on the horizon

Looking at the best coaches in the league, especially the returning ones, Pro Football Focus's Dalton Wasserman puts Baltimore's coach at number four. The ranking is only behind Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams, Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos, and Andy Reid of the Chiefs. Harbaugh is one spot ahead of the Pittsburgh Steelers' Mike Tomlin. Wasserman writes:

"Harbaugh perpetually has Baltimore contending for championships, but has not won a Super Bowl since the 2012 season. The Ravens have endured only two losing seasons since he took over in 2008. Baltimore’s consistency is incredibly impressive, considering the team hasn’t lost a game by more than one score since Week 18 of 2022, a contest in which their starters didn’t even play."

"At the center of Harbaugh’s success is Lamar Jackson‘s development. Coming off an injury-plagued 2022 season in which he earned just a 72.3 PFF passing grade, Jackson and his team were at a crossroads. Since Todd Monken was brought in to be the Ravens' offensive coordinator in 2023, Jackson has become an unstoppable force, leading the NFL with a 95.1 PFF overall grade. As long as Harbaugh and Jackson are in the building, the Ravens will be AFC contenders."

Wasserman is right. As long as Harbaugh and Jackson are together, Baltimore will be contenders in the AFC to reach the Super Bowl. It is now year eight that they've been together, and it's time for them to make their run. You can argue that Harbaugh is already a Hall of Fame coach, but a second Super Bowl would make him a shoo-in for Canton.

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