The Baltimore Ravens’ decision to fire Super Bowl-winning head Coach John Harbaugh after Sunday’s season-ending loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers kept them out of the playoffs wasn’t surprising to those of us who closely follow the NFL. Harbaugh had coached the team for 18 years, the Ravens had underperformed, and sometimes a new voice is needed in the locker room.
Sports teams have often had to choose between a coach who’s been successful in the past and a superstar player they need to be successful now. In this case, the Ravens had to choose between Harbaugh, who won Super Bowl XLVII in 2012 and quarterback Lamar Jackson, a two-time NFL MVP.
The Ravens underperformed, and sometimes a new voice is needed in the locker room.
If changes are to come, then the Ravens’ salary constraints necessitated Harbaugh that Harbaugh be the one to go. Harbaugh knows the industry as well as anyone and surely understands why the Ravens decided as they did. And because he’s still under contract for two more seasons, he’ll still be getting paid.
But Wednesday morning, a typical end-of-the-season-coach-carousel story got injected with politics when President Donald Trump made a Truth Social post directed at other NFL teams that read: “HIRE JOHN HARBAUGH, FAST. HE, AND HIS BROTHER, ARE TOTAL WINNERS!!!”
It’s worth noting that Harbaugh and his brother Los Angeles Chargers Coach Jim Harbaugh met President Trump in the Oval Office in July. John Harbaugh defended his decision to meet with Trump to a reporter at Ravens training camp who asked why he’d meet with him after Trump’s disparaging remarks about Baltimore. “It was amazing. It was awesome. And I promise you, I root for our president,” Harbaugh said as he criticized the framing of the question. “I want our president to be successful just like I want my quarterback to be successful, and I want my team to be successful,” Harbaugh said, adding that he’d also met presidents Obama and Biden.
What a crew — the Harbaugh brothers and Nvidia CEO hanging with Trump today in the Oval Office. pic.twitter.com/i4K7p6cTSB
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) July 11, 2025
Trump is infamously transactional. Was his social media post simply him returning the favor after Harbaugh had kind words about his visit to the White House? Probably. Can anybody recall another instance where the President has weighed in on a professional head coach’s firing?
But Trump needn’t have bothered trying to sell the NFL on Harbaugh. Teams already know who he is. And he has plenty options.
In fact, his agent Bryan Harlan said that 7 different teams reached out expressing their interest within 45 minutes of Harbaugh’s firing. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that two NFL teams that don’t even have open head coaching positions were among those that inquired. Who knows how many more teams have reached out since then.
Trump needn’t have bothered trying to sell the NFL on Harbaugh. Teams already know who he is.
His destination may largely depend on what Harbaugh values. If sticking it to the Ravens is important to him, then he could choose the division rival Cleveland Browns, who just fired Coach Kevin Stefanski. The Browns have a young up-and-coming quarterback in Shedeur Sanders and a future Hall-of-Fame defensive star in Myles Garrett. But the Browns have been mostly disastrous under owner Jimmy Haslam’s watch. So maybe not. The Cardinals, Falcons, Titans and Raiders all have openings as well. The Cardinals and Falcons have questions about the starting quarterback position that are unresolved. The Titans have 2025’s No. 1-pick Cam Ward but a less than appetizing cast around him. The Raiders are the Raiders. Or are they? Minority Owner Tom Brady is taking a more assertive role in the teams activities. Could they make a huge play for Harbaugh? More importantly, could he be tempted by the opportunity to lead the Raiders out of what seems like an eternity of darkness? Despite Trump’s push for Harbaugh’s immediate hiring, there is one last option for the 63-year-old coach. He could do nothing. He could take time off. Or — like Super Bowl-winning Coach Sean Payton did between leaving the New Orleans Saints and signing with the Denver Broncos — Harbaugh could jump into the broadcast booth. He’ll be a hot commodity this year and, if he wanted to take a break, then he can rest assured knowing he’d be just as hot of a commodity a year from now. But that seems to me to be the least likely option. Harbaugh is uber-competitive, and there are teams that need a coach. And they don’t need any prodding from Trump to reach out.
Jason Page
Jason Page is the host of the nationally syndicated daily TV show “SportsWrap w/Jason Page.”
The Giants have a young stud quarterback in Jaxson Dart and a group of talented young players on both sides of the ball. But the New York media has eaten alive some of the best when things don’t go well. Does Harbaugh want that kind of challenge?
