The Baltimore Ravens are one of the most well-run franchises in the NFL. The team is seemingly always in contention and dominates the offseason each year, bringing back talent and replenishing the roster in the NFL Draft.
Much of this is thanks to the work of general manager Eric DeCosta and head coach John Harbaugh. Whenever players eventually leave in free agency, DeCosta and the front office find a way to replace them in the offseason. Once it’s time for the NFL season, Harbaugh and the coaching staff help the players tap into their potential and dominate their competition every week. Heading into 2025, the team is again sitting atop the AFC North, not just roster-wise but coaching-wise.
John Harbaugh continues to showcase why he is head and shoulders above his AFC North counterparts
Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus offered his view of the top 10 coaches on the hot seat entering the 2025 season, and all three of Baltimore’s AFC North rivals have their head coaches listed. After the Ravens ran away with the division in the second half of the season, their rivals failed to reach their aspirations in 2024. As a result, questions about their head coaches are being raised.
Like Baltimore, the Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the most consistent franchises. However, recently, they have been stuck in mediocrity, and it’s put head coach Mike Tomlin on the hot seat.
Pittsburgh hasn’t been seen as a true threat since the trio of Ben Roethlisberger, Le’Veon Bell, and Antonio Brown dominated the league. They’ve consistently hung around in the playoff picture, but come playoff time, the team tends to crumble and fails to win in the postseason.
This has been due to the team’s lack of a franchise quarterback since Roethlisberger, and much of that blame has fallen on Tomlin. He’s going into his 19th year as head coach and has yet to have a losing season. But year after year, they limp into the final weeks of the regular season, failing to adjust over the year. If Pittsburgh signs Aaron Rodgers, they’ll have their signal caller for 2025, but it might be another lackluster season, which could lead to Tomlin’s firing.
The Cincinnati Bengals have also been a disappointment in recent years. After a strong start to the Joe Burrow era that saw them contend in a competitive AFC, which included a Super Bowl, the Bengals have struggled. With a generational offense, head coach Zac Taylor’s job should be on the line if he manages to fumble this golden opportunity.
Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins might be the best offensive trio in the NFL, and Chase Brown is emerging as a legit threat on the ground. Their issue lies on the other side of the football, where they haven’t been able to stop a nosebleed. Outside of Trey Hendrickson, the defense lacks any star power. They’ll be putting a ton of faith in the young talent on defense this season, and if the front office fails to satisfy Hendrickson with a new contract, the defense could end up being one of the worst in NFL history.
While the front office deserves some blame, Taylor has shown an inability to get it down, especially in the early season. Each of the past two seasons has seen Taylor and the Bengals get off to slow starts, and when the team starts to find a rhythm later in the year, their sub-.500 starts hurt them in the long run. If the 42-year-old Taylor can’t get his team off to a hot start, he could be kicked out the door early.
For Kevin Stefanski and the Cleveland Browns, their abysmal 2024 campaign immediately puts the head coach’s job in danger. While Stefanski is a two-time Coach of the Year, he’s failed to put together back-to-back playoff-caliber campaigns. But that blame may fall more on the front office than the head coach.
Baker Mayfield appeared to be the answer in Cleveland however, the team transitioned its focus to Deshaun Watson when the chance presented itself, which has been one of the worst decisions in NFL history. While Mayfield is enjoying a career revival with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Watson and the Browns have scuffled, and their quarterback situation is just as bad as Pittsburgh’s.
While it’s tough to put all the blame on Stefanski for the team’s 2024 performance, they failed to find any success on either side of the football. The defense fell off, and the offense was the worst in football. While the front office management might be out the door first, the team could completely clean the house, forcing Stefanski out with them.
It's always great to see rivals in desperate searches for their identity. However, Baltimore's mission remains the same as they look to reach the Super Bowl for the first time in the Lamar Jackson era in 2025.