Michael Owens/Getty Images

Ravens Have Preferred Coach After Firing John Harbaugh

Originally posted on The Spun | By Tzvi Machlin | Last updated Jan 7, 2026 11:49 AM ET

In by far the most shocking firing of the 2025 NFL season, the Baltimore Ravens parted ways with Super Bowl winner John Harbaugh after 18 years at the helm. A search for the fourth head coach in team history is now underway but the Ravens already have an idea in mind.

According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the priority for the Ravens right now is to find a head coach who is able to "reach" MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson and get the "absolute most" out of him. Rapoport noted that 2025 was seen as a strange year where nobody was certain why Jackson wasn't playing as well as he had in recent years.

"The Ravens are looking for a HC that will "reach" and "invigorate" Lamar Jackson, getting the "absolute most" out of the team's QB, per @RapSheet," the NFL Network shared on X.

The Ravens are looking for a HC that will "reach" and "invigorate" Lamar Jackson, getting the "absolute most" out of the team's QB, per @RapSheet. pic.twitter.com/BoWSmqOd4B
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) January 7, 2026

The Coach or The Quarterback?

A number of NFL fans expressed disdain for the way the Ravens handled the situation, pointing out that the team shouldn't have fired Harbaugh if Jackson was the one being troublesome in the situation. Some pointed out that Jackson likely only ascended to the heights he's reached because of Harbaugh in the first place:

"I know it was probably a long time coming for Harbaugh but is 2 MVPs not getting the most out of him?" one user pointed out.

"What coach will come in and get most of your '2 time MVP'? Seems like they already got the most out of him," another remarked.

"If a guy making $50 million a year has to be "invigorated" perhaps the coach is not the problem - it could be the player," a third wrote.

Jan 4, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh reacts during the second half at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images© Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

But one could make the argument that Harbaugh's dismissal had as much to do with the team's postseason struggles as any specific issue with Lamar Jackson.

Other than the Ravens' 2012 Super Bowl victory, Harbaugh has fairly frequently come close but not close enough in the playoffs. He's 9-11 in his non-Super Bowl years and went one-and-done in three of his six trips to the playoffs with Jackson under center.

Perhaps the Ravens believe that there's someone out there that can be just one game better in both the regular season and the playoffs if they want to become one of the league's mega-powers.

Nevertheless, that's a pretty big gamble for the Ravens in an age where about one-fifth of the league gets new head coaches every year.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: