John Harbaugh and the Baltimore Ravens went from a team many expected to compete for a Super Bowl in 2025 to an 8-9 team that missed the playoffs after an errant Tyler Loop kick gifted the subpar Pittsburgh Steelers an AFC North title and a home playoff game against the Houston Texans.
The clock is ticking on head coach John Harbaugh, as he is looking less like a stable veteran presence who gives the team a floor and more like a dinosaur who continues to let Lamar Jackson's prime drip away without even making it to at least one Super Bowl.
When given a chance to stick up for the only coach he has ever had in the pros after what was a particularly challenging way to watch the season go completely up in flames, left tackle Ronnie Stanley chose a less definitive and more diplomatic approach, which is a sharp change for a Ravens team that had previously presented a united front in support of Harbaugh.
Stanley did not choose to stoop for Harbaugh after this loss, instead taking a more non-committal stance on the matter and reinforcing that his duties only extend as far as playing left tackle. If he's lost a veteran like that, Harbaugh may not have too many friends in the locker room.
Ravens OT Ronnie Stanley declines to praise Jim Harbaugh after brutal 8-9 season
Harbaugh and GM Eric DeCosta have tons of star power. Look at Jackson and Derrick Henry on offense against Roquan Smith and Kyle Hamilton on defense. The problem is the depth remains wholly below average. If that quartet doesn't dominate, Harbaugh has struggled to get this team up off the mat.
Harbaugh has completely misevaluated the offensive line, remains overly committed to the struggling Zach Orr as the defensive coordinator, and essentially lit multiple games on fire this season by picking Cooper Rush over Tyler Huntley when Jackson was hurt.
When combined with Harbaugh's propensity for blowing leads despite ostensibly having the best clock-chewing tandem in the league between Jackson and Henry, and you have someone who is looking more outdated with each passing season.
Harbaugh will forever be Baltimore royalty, as he won a Super Bowl and has proven to be the best coach in franchise history. However, he is starting to look more outdated than vintage lately, and it has cost the Ravens a chance at another ring in Jackson's prime.