Revenge of the Birds
At first glance, Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh losing his job after an 18-year tenure looked like a slap in the face to the successful coach. Now, it looks like a slap to his bank account.
On March 28, 2025, Harbaugh signed a three-year contract extension with the Ravens that ran through the 2028 season.
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That means Harbaugh had two years remaining on his deal. After three consecutive years with double-digit wins, three playoff appearances, and a loss in the AFC Championship Game, Baltimore went 8-9-0 including the final season loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers for the AFC North Division crown. Several days later, Harbaugh was unemployed. Only the Steelers’ Mike Tomlin (18 seasons) has been with the same team longer among active head coaches.
In all, he took the Ravens to 12 playoff trips, one Super Bowl win, and won the division six times. He has a 13-11 playoff record. Apparently, that wasn’t enough, and the franchise sent him packing.
Harbaugh, age 63, is one of the best coaches in NFL history. The extension paid Harbaugh $17 million a season. The Ravens still owe him $34 million even after firing him. Even if Harbaugh takes another coaching job, the Ravens would still owe him money. His new salary would likely offset some of what Baltimore owes, but wouldn’t erase it entirely.
So, essentially, he could retire and doesn’t even need to take another coaching job. However, he still wants to coach.
But it’ll cost ya.
Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland has found out what it will take to bring Harbaugh to any city. Ready?
This means Harbaugh wants more say over the roster than he had in Baltimore. This may mean he would be the final word in the NFL draft instead of the GM making that decision. For most clubs, that would become a total change in the power structure.
Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs is currently the highest-paid NFL head coach at $20 million a season. He signed a five-year extension in 2024 for $100 million. Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos comes in second at $18 million and Harbaugh’s brother Jim makes $16 million.
