After 18 seasons as head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, John Harbaugh is out of a job.
If he chooses not to sit out the 2026 season, he almost certainly won’t be out of work for long. The moment the Ravens announced Harbaugh’s firing on Tuesday, he was reportedly at the top of several teams’ search for a new head coach.
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And, according to multiple reports, even teams without open positions are interested. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Tuesday that seven teams contacted Harbaugh’s agent within an hour of his firing. Aside from the Ravens, only six teams have head coaching vacancies.
Meanwhile, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that “several” teams with head coaches would be interested in Harbaugh.
As of Tuesday night, there was no indication that Harbaugh would or would not want to jump straight to another head coaching job. But if he does, he’ll likely have a long list of suitors, and all signs point to Harbaugh having his open options.
Let’s start with the teams that actually have openings and look at Harbaugh’s potential landing spots and how attractive they might be to Harbaugh.
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new york giants
The Giants were immediately reported to be eager suitors. According to Schefter, Harbaugh is expected to be at or near the top of their roster.
In recent years, few teams have found stability in a head coach like the Giants. Since Tom Coughlin retired in 2016, the Giants have expressed displeasure with Ben McAdoo, Pat Shurmur, Joe Judge and Brian Daboll in addition to interim hires Steve Spagnuolo and Mike Kafka.
If you do the math, there have been six head coaches in 10 seasons, and the instability has manifested itself on the pitch. The Giants had just two wins this decade and made the playoffs twice.
If John Harbaugh wants to coach next season, he appears to have no shortage of suitors.
(Michael Owens via Getty Images)
The Giants believe their quarterback of the future is Jackson Dart, and the pressure to figure things out around him is immense. No coach other than Mike Tomlin emphasizes stability as much as Harbaugh, who coached the Ravens for 18 seasons.
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The Giants also consider themselves one of the most attractive teams in the NFL. Whether this is accurate is debatable. But hiring Harbaugh was a franchise-charming move.
Cardinals, Falcons, Raiders-Titans
We call it the middle layer. The Cardinals, Falcons, Raiders and Titans all have openings. They are both eager to overturn a long losing streak. They will probably pursue Harbaugh.
The future of the Cardinals is uncertain, and it starts with quarterback Kyler Murray. He missed most of the 2025 season with a sprained ankle, and the Cardinals appear to be in no rush to get him back as rumors persist that this season will be his last with the team. With no coach and a vague quarterback plan, Arizona’s path forward is unclear.
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The Falcons are also in trouble at quarterback, including expensive limping veteran Kirk Cousins, and young former first-round draft pick Michael Penix Jr., who suffered his third career ACL tear at age 25 this season. Atlanta still hopes Penix will be its quarterback of the future, but that’s far from a sure thing. Beyond quarterback, there’s some serious talent that could attract Harbaugh, starting with Stallions running back Bejan Robinson.
Will John Harbaugh be tempted to team up with an unproven but high-potential young quarterback in Cam Ward?
(Image source: Reuters Connect / Reuters)
The Raiders don’t have a quarterback, but they will select the No. 1 pick in April’s NFL draft. Could it be Fernando Mendoza? Could it be Dante Moore? Will either of them be attractive enough to lure Harbaugh to a team that has been largely dysfunctional since moving to Las Vegas?
Meanwhile, the Titans hope to get their quarterback of the future in place. It was a rough rookie season for 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward, as the Titans finished with a 3-14 record. But Ward showed plenty of upside as a rookie, and the Titans certainly plan to be patient with their young quarterback. Is this the journey Harbaugh wants to take?
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cleveland browns
The Browns crave stability and relevance just as much as these teams do — perhaps even more so. Despite a 5-12 record, they still have one of the league’s best defenses, including two-time Defensive Player of the Year and new single-season sack leader Myles Garrett.
The quarterback situation is still a mess, and anyone who believes Shaddell Sanders is the answer is kidding themselves. But the foundation here is no different than the foundation on which Harbaugh found success in Baltimore.
The Browns would certainly be excited to acquire Harbaugh. But is this really where he wants to be? Does he want to go right back to the AFC North and battle the Steelers and his former Ravens twice a year?
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miami dolphins
This is where things get really interesting.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel has been in an awkward position since their disastrous Week 1 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. But a 5-3 season appears to have saved his job. at present.
McDaniel survived Black Monday, and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa seemed to be the scapegoat for Miami’s troubles and impending exit. But the Dolphins haven’t made it clear that McDaniel’s job is safe. Will Harbaugh joining the open market change things for Miami?
tampa bay buccaneers
Todd Bowles also survived Black Monday as Tampa Bay fell to 2-7 on the season and the Buccaneers were eliminated from the playoffs for the first time since 2019. Todd Bowles coached the Buccaneers to three playoff berths.
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But when your season ends like Tampa Bay’s, winning the lone playoff spot from the perpetually mediocre NFC South doesn’t matter that much. The heat is definitely on.
Wherever Harbaugh goes, his offensive coordinator Todd Monken will likely go with him. Harbaugh reportedly played for Monken before the Ravens fired him. Monken served as Baker Mayfield’s offensive coordinator with the Browns in 2019 and spent three years as Tampa Bay’s offensive coordinator before that. It’s unclear if this will be a plus for the Buccaneers.
