Former Ravens coach John Harbaugh is not just wanted by NFL teams with vacancies, but also by a team with a sitting head coach.
The most surprising NFL firing thus far is the Baltimore Ravens severing ties with John Harbaugh after 18 seasons. It will certainly be a fascinating situation to watch in whether there’s a better option than the longest-tenured and winningest coach in franchise history. Not just that, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that not one hour after Harbaugh was fired Tuesday, his agent received calls from seven teams with interest.
There are currently seven NFL openings – and that includes Baltimore. So, not only does every team with a vacancy have interest, but so does a club that has yet to fire their head coach. For now, the teams vying for Harbaugh are the New York Giants, Tennessee Titans, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, Arizona Cardinals, and the Ravens. It’s not surprising that Harbaugh is this coveted after finishing his time in Baltimore with a 193-124 record including the postseason, six AFC North Titles, two No. 1 playoff seeds, four AFC Championship game appearances, and a win in Super Bowl XLVII.
Here is the story from Browns Roundtable writer Spencer German on why Cleveland should prioritize the former division rival coach.
If teams are looking for stability and culture, then Harbaugh is a top candidate. He is a rare former special teams coordinator, and perhaps that matters a lot. Special teams coordinators have to have a broader understanding of the game and everyone on the roster. They have strong player development skills having to work with back-end guys on the roster, often on special teams for the first time in their careers. There’s a holistic view of the game they have playing a role on both offense and defense. They tend to be adaptable, have to get players to really buy in on their unit, and have creative and strategic minds.
Harbaugh also has pivoted into the newer era of football transitioning from Joe Flacco to Lamar Jackson and had to retool the entire offense to fit Jackson’s skill set. Jackson has won two MVP awards. It’s an enticing skill set that the Ravens, frankly, are going to have to do a lot of work to find a suitable replacement in those areas. And it’s one that teams looking for a proven winner and culture-builder are going to fight to have in their building.