One of the NFL’s longest unions is no more.
The Ravens are parting ways with head coach John Harbaugh after 18 seasons, the team announced Tuesday, following weeks of speculation that the parties were headed toward a split.
“Following a comprehensive evaluation of the season and the overall direction of our organization, I decided to make a change at head coach. Today I informed John that he has been relieved of his duties,” Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said in a statement. “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.”
According to The Athletic, a key point of their split was Harbaugh’s “refusal to entertain” any talks of moving on from offensive coordinator Todd Monken.
John Harbaugh on the Ravens sideline in November 2025. Getty Images
“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 of his own, adding a smiley face emoji. “It comes with disappointment certainly, but more with GRATITUDE & APPRECIATION.
“Gratitude to the owner and organization who was willing to bring in a head coach who made his mark with Special Teams success. A difficult thing to do … and Appreciation for all the moments, all these years, that are etched into eternity.
Harbaugh, 63, landed with the Ravens as a first-time head coach in 2008 after a previous stop in Philadelphia. He served as the Eagles’ special teams coordinator from 1998 to 2006 and worked as the defensive backs coach in 2007.
Harbaugh posted a 180-113 regular-season record through the 2025 campaign and holds a 13-11 mark in the postseason, including a Super Bowl 2012 win over younger brother Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers.
Buzz about Harbaugh’s future had been festering for some time.
Questions about John Harbaugh’s job security swirled throughout the Ravens’ 2025 season. AP
After overcoming a dismal 1-5 start, the Ravens climbed back into the AFC North race at 8-8 entering Week 18, but a loss to the Steelers ended their season early.
Before Sunday’s season-ending loss, ESPN’s Adam Schefter suggested Harbaugh’s job security was “up in the air.”
“While everybody’s been focused on [Steelers coach] Mike Tomlin, the coach that people really should be focusing in on in that division is the Baltimore Ravens’ John Harbaugh,” Schefter said on ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown” show. “That seems to be a situation, right now, that’s up in the air, where both sides will meet and discuss after the season what they want to do and what direction they want to go.”
Clearly, the Ravens and Harbaugh found a resolution by going in different directions.