Where Does John Harbaugh End Up Next?

Stadium Rant had previously asserted that the best coaching fit for the Browns was Broncos offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi. The grandson of the second-greatest coach of all-time (Bill, of course) should still get an interview with Cleveland, but given that Harbaugh has owned the division the Browns play in for the majority of his coaching career, it makes him the frontrunner. He has played the Bengals and Steelers twice a year for over a decade, and it’s safe to say he knows the Ravens intimately.

Harbaugh could weave his quarterback magic with one of the young bucks the Browns already have in the stable, or he could bring in someone else (a veteran or early draft pick). Either way, he has the offensive mind to get the most out of just about any signal-caller, and he’d be inheriting a defense comparable to some of the best he coached in Baltimore. There would also be something poetic about going from the old Browns to the new Browns.

Las Vegas Raiders

Pete Carroll is out, and despite some tongue-in-cheek joking, Tom Brady isn’t going to coach this team. The Raiders have the first pick in the upcoming draft, and the idea of being the first coach to get his hands on the 2025 Heisman winner, Fernando Mendoza, may be too alluring for him to pass up. Vehgas doesn’t have the same kind of defense he is accustomed to (25th in the league), but he does have some pieces there, especially if he can convince Maxx Crosby to stay.

The Raiders currently have $100 million in cap space before cutting/trading anyone. That’s a good chunk of change to bring to the market (2nd most in the league) in a year fairly loaded with defensive options. It’s unclear who Brady truly has pegged for Sin City, but if it’s not his former head coach in New England, it should probably be Harbaugh.

Arizona Cardinals

This could be a match made in heaven from a quarterback standpoint. Sure, Kliff Kingsbury couldn’t get the most out of Kyler Murray, but then again, he’s no Harbaugh. Murray is, in a nice way, a more compact version of Lamar Jackson. Think a faster version with a much bigger arm, but in a smaller package. Harbaugh would have weapons to build around, and the Cardinals are a team that surprised a lot of experts who had them in the 9-10 win range.

Bringing in a great coach, and a player’s coach at that, could be just what they need in the desert to turn things around. The 49ers look broken, the Rams are old, and does anyone truly believe the Seahawks weren’t a fluke? The right coach could mean a division title in 2026.

New York

The Jets or the Giants? Yes.

Both New York teams needed the last 10 years to total the same number of wins as Harbaugh (55 for the Giants and 49 for the Jets). It’s an absolutely fantastic market that, even when teams are bad, can attract big-name free agents. The Giants are already interviewing Kingsbury for their head coaching position, but they scheduled that meeting before Harbaugh was fired. They have some good young weapons there, in quarterback Jaxson Dart and wide receiver Malik Nabers. If Harbaugh can get Abdul Carter to care about football, he would also have the potential for a killer defense.

The Jets may be worse off as constructed, but they have the second overall pick. There may be a quarterback or impact player he can get there to help save the franchise. This may be the least desirable of all the options because the team is a hodgepodge mess, and the ownership is the worst in the league. They may never have a winning season, no matter who they have patrolling the sidelines.

End Of My John Harbaugh Rant

Whether he ends up coaching in the desert, in the same conference, the big apple, or as a coordinator for his brother, John Harbaugh will not be unemployed long. He’s doen too well for too long for teams not to be interested in bringing him in. His eligibility adds a level of intrigue and excitement to the offseason for sure.