The Baltimore Ravens are far from alone in their head coaching search. After firing their long-time head coach, John Harbaugh, they are set to hire their fourth head coach in franchise history in a few weeks.
While the Ravens have been praised as possibly the best head coaching vacancy in the NFL currently, that hasn’t stopped other teams from going out and moving quickly to acquire top candidates. The New York Giants were the first to make a hire, hiring Harbaugh, and the Atlanta Falcons stole one of Baltimore’s top candidates, bringing in Kevin Stefanski. Stefanski was expected to be brought back for a second interview with the Ravens.
As of January 18, there are seven vacancies remaining. Although the Ravens have almost everything you can possibly want in a roster, some competitors are starting to move in, looking to take some of the top coaches off Baltimore’s board. The Pittsburgh Steelers are seen as a top spot for Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores and Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula, and now, the Tennessee Titans are reportedly after San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.
Baltimore and Tennessee aren’t the only two interested in Saleh’s services, but it appears Tennessee regards Saleh very highly. According to recent news, the Titans have narrowed things down to a top three, and Saleh is a part of that.
Sources: The #Titans scheduled an in-person interview with #49ers DC Robert Saleh tomorrow afternoon. He’s a serious candidate, despite not overlapping with GM Mike Borgonzi.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 18, 2026
Matt Nagy tomorrow morning. Saleh in the afternoon, plus Jeff Hafley for Tuesday — TEN has its top 3. pic.twitter.com/4U3t1QgaRm
Ravens face high competition for Robert Saleh
Of course, the Ravens remain a top landing spot for any candidate looking to become a head coach, but the Titans have a bright future ahead. They have intriguing pieces like rookie quarterback Cam Ward and the fourth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. If Saleh is looking to start anew with a roster that he can have a significant part in building, Tennessee would make for a strong position.
Obviously, Baltimore separates itself when it comes to two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson. Most, if not all, coaches would do anything to work with a quarterback like Jackson. Saleh is a defensive mind, though, and where the Ravens could really win the race is through their young defensive talent.
Safety Kyle Hamilton is a chess piece. Just like how Jackson is one of the most valuable offensive players, Hamilton is perhaps the most valuable defensive player. He completely changes the game with his versatility, and Saleh would only make him more effective. Other young talents like defensive tackles Travis Jones and Nnamdi Madubuike, cornerback Nate Wiggins, and outside linebacker Mike Green, would also emerge as game-wreckers under Saleh.
Ultimately, it hasn’t been confirmed if the Ravens are as interested in Saleh as the Titans are. They just completed their first round of interviews and will soon bring candidates back for a second round. Whether Saleh is part of that remains to be seen.