Missing the postseason on the heels of years of playoff disappointment in the Lamar Jackson era ultimately cost a franchise stalwart his job.
It's the end of an era in Baltimore.
The Ravens fired head coach John Harbaugh on Tuesday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported — just two days after a loss to the rival Pittsburgh Steelers knocked them out of the postseason. The loss concluded a campaign that started with Super Bowl expectations but ended out of the playoffs for the first time in Baltimore since 2021.
The Ravens got off to a 1-5 start that was exacerbated by multiple injuries to two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson. They rallied to improve to 6-5 to get back into playoff contention and had a chance to make the postseason Sunday night. But they needed to beat the Steelers to clinch that berth, and they didn't.
The Ravens were in a position to win Sunday's game after driving into field goal range in the final seconds. But Tyler Loop missed a 44-yard field goal as time expired, and the Steelers held on for a 26-24 win that secured the AFC North and knocked the Ravens out of the playoffs.
The loss proved to be the final straw for Harbaugh's tenure in a tumultuous last season with the team.
Losses, reported tension tank Super Bowl hopes
With Jackson and All-Pro running back Derrick Henry anchoring the offense of a team that finished 12-5 in 2024, the Ravens were picked by many as preseason favorites to win the Super Bowl. Those hopes in Baltimore were muted even before injuries began to derail Jackson's season.
Baltimore got off to a 1-2 start before Jackson injured his hamstring in a Week 4 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. They lost their next two starts with Cooper Rush at quarterback, but surged back into playoff contention in a weak AFC North with a five-game midseason win streak.
But the Ravens couldn't maintain that momentum as injuries hampered Jackson for the rest of the season and reports of discord between Harbaugh and Jackson surfaced. The Ravens closed with a 2-4 streak and missed the playoffs with an 8-9 record.
As the losses and rumblings of in-house tension mounted, so did the pressure on Harbaugh's job.
Harbaugh's a franchise stalwart who's coached the Ravens for more than half of their 30-year existence. He led the Ravens to the playoffs in 12 of his 18 seasons and finished with a losing record just three times.
He coached the Ravens to a Super Bowl championship after the 2012 season. Under Harbaugh, the Ravens were a consistent winner and one of the NFL's standout franchises.
Disappointment in Jackson-Harbaugh era piled up
But disappointment and early exits in the postseason became the predominant theme of the Jackson era in Baltimore. The With a two-time MVP at quarterback, the Ravens have failed to advance to the Super Bowl much less win one in Jackson's eight seasons with the team.
They've won the AFC North four times and posted 10-plus wins in six of Jackson's eight seasons. But they've been to the AFC championship game just once and are 3-6 in the postseason in that span.
Jackson's 28 and presumably has several years left in his prime. The Ravens ultimately decided that they need new leadership to optimize the remainder of Jackson's tenure after repeatedly failing to meet expectations when the stakes were at their highest.
The Harbaugh era will ultimately be remembered fondly in Baltimore as one predominantly defined by winning. But Monday's decision was about building the future around Jackson.
This story will be updated.
Category: General Sports
