2016 Will Shape John Harbaugh’s Legacy

How Will Harbaugh Be Remembered?

The question in front of us today is not what should happen to Harbaugh at the end of the season. What will become Harbaugh’s legacy if the Ravens don’t take advantage of their opportunity this season? That is what we need to ask, because that is possibly the more interesting conversation. When we get into these hypothetical situations there are a lot of ways to think about it.

Harbaugh will likely be a victim of the most recent memories. People will remember the blood boiling moments after the Super Bowl glory. They will remember the 5-11 season. They will remember Marty Mornhinweg becoming the fifth offensive coordinator for Joe Flacco after Marc Trestman proved to be an awful hire. When you cannot have any continuity at such a key position, you have a problem.

There will be a large faction of fans who will try to separate Harbaugh from the glory of his tenure. The Ravens won when they had Ray Lewis and Ed Reed to lead the way. There is already a perception looming in Baltimore that Harbaugh ran out players that challenged his authority. I have always thought that argument was silly. Lewis retired. Reed took more money in Houston. Boldin was traded away by Ozzie Newsome. Bernard Pollard was overrated and he wasn’t actually a leader, he just hit really hard. Silly or not, that perception is there and it isn’t going anywhere.