Harbaugh appears to have no shortage of suitors if he wants to coach next season — reportedly including teams that don't currently have head coaching vacancies.
After 18 seasons as head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, John Harbaugh is out of a job.
He almost certainly won't remain unemployed for long if he chooses to not sit out the 2026 season. The moment the Ravens announced Harbaugh's dismissal Tuesday, he reportedly shot to the top of the charts for several teams seeking a new head coach.
And, according to multiple reports, even teams without openings are interested. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Tuesday that seven teams reached out to Harbaugh's agent with interest in the hour after his dismissal. There are only six teams other than the Ravens with head coaching vacancies.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz, meanwhile, reported that "several" teams with head coaches in place will be interested in Harbaugh.
As of Tuesday evening there was no indication either way that Harbaugh does or doesn't want to jump directly into another head coaching job. But if he does, he'll likely have a long line of suitors, and all indications point to Harbaugh having his choice of openings.
Let's take a look at the Harbaugh's potential landing spots and how appealing they might be to Harbaugh starting with the teams that actually have vacancies.
New York Giants
The Giants immediately emerged in reports as an eager suitor. Per Schefter, Harbaugh is expected to be at or near the top of their list.
Few teams in recent years have failed to find stability at head coach quite like the Giants. Since Tom Coughlin retired in 2016, the Giants have whiffed with Ben McAdoo, Pat Shurmur, Joe Judge and Brian Daboll in addition to employing Steve Spagnuolo and Mike Kafka in the interim.
If you're counting, that's six head coaches in 10 seasons, and the instability has played out on the field. The Giants have posted just two winning seasons and made two playoff appearances in those 10 years.
The Giants believe that they have their quarterback of the future in Jaxson Dart, and the pressure to get things right around him is immense. And no coach other than Mike Tomlin screams stability quite like Harbaugh, who coached the Ravens for 18 seasons.
The Giants also consider themselves one of the NFL's glamour franchises. Whether or not that's accurate is up for debate. But hiring Harbaugh is a glamour-franchise move.
Cardinals, Falcons, Raiders Titans
Let's call this the middle tier. The Cardinals, Falcons, Raiders and Titans all have openings. They're all desperate to turn around a lengthy run of losing. They all presumably will pursue Harbaugh.
The Cardinals' future is very much in flux, and that starts with quarterback Kyler Murray. He missed most of the 2025 season with a sprained foot, and the Cardinals didn't appear to be in any hurry to get him back on the field amid continued rumors that this season would be his last with the franchise. With no coach and a murky quarterback plan, Arizona's path forward is unclear.
The Falcons are likewise in a quarterback quandary with an expensive hobbled veteran in Kirk Cousins, and a young former first-round draft pick in Michael Penix Jr. who suffered the third ACL tear of his football career this season at 25 years old. There's still hope in Atlanta that Penix is the quarterback of the future, but that's far from a certainty. There is significant talent outside of quarterback that could entice Harbaugh, starting with stud running back Bijan Robinson.
The Raiders don't have a quarterback, but they'll have their choice with the No. 1 pick in April's NFL Draft. Will it be Fernando Mendoza? Will it be Dante Moore? Are either of them enticing enough to lure Harbaugh to a team that's been largely dysfunctional since its move to Las Vegas?
The Titans, meanwhile, hope they have their quarterback of the future in place. It was a rough rookie campaign for No. 1 pick Cam Ward in 2025 as the Titans finished 3-14. But Ward has plenty of upside that he flashed as a rookie, and the Titans surely plan to be patient with their young quarterback. Is that a journey Harbaugh wants to take?
Cleveland Browns
The Browns are as desperate for stability and relevance as any of these teams — perhaps even more so. And despite a 5-12 campaign, they boast one of the league's best defenses anchored by presumptive two-time Defensive Player of the Year and new single-season sack king Myles Garrett.
Quarterback remains a mess, and anybody who has convinced themselves that Shedeur Sanders is the answer is fooling themselves. But there's a foundation here not dissimilar to those that Harbaugh rode to success in Baltimore.
The Browns would surely be stoked to land Harbaugh. But is this really where he wants to be? Does he want to dive straight back into the AFC North grind to battle with the Steelers and his former Ravens twice a year?
Miami Dolphins
This is where things get really interesting.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel has been on the hot seat since a disastrous Week 1 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. But a 5-3 finish to the season appears to have saved his job. For now.
McDaniel survived Black Monday, and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa appears to be the fall guy for Miami's woes and on his way out. But the Dolphins haven't explicitly stated that McDaniel's job is safe. Does Harbaugh's addition to the open market change the equation in Miami?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Todd Bowles likewise survived Black Monday after a 2-7 finish tanked Tampa Bay's season and knocked the Buccaneers out of the playoffs for the first time since 2019. Bowles coached the Bucs to three of those playoff berths.
But previously winning the only playoff berth out of a perpetually mediocre NFC South carries less weight when your season ends like Tampa Bay's did. The heat is certainly on.
Wherever Harbaugh goes, his offensive coordinator Todd Monken may go with him. Harbaugh reportedly fought for Monken with the Ravens before they fired him. Monken previously worked as Baker Mayfield's offensive coordinator with the Browns in 2019 and spent three years before that as Tampa Bay's OC. Whether or not that would be a check in the plus column for the Bucs is unclear.
Category: General Sports
