Major John Harbaugh update adds intensity to Ravens' must-win Week 18 clash

All year, the Baltimore Ravens have had their backs against the wall. After starting 1-5, they needed a miracle to get back into playoff contention. They got that miracle. In Week 18, the Ravens square off against the Pittsburgh Steelers in a do-or-die matchup for the AFC North title.

Obviously, this is a pivotal game for Baltimore. They must win if they want to punch a ticket to the playoffs. It goes beyond that, though. The outcome could be a determining factor for head coaches John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin’s future.

For Harbaugh, Ravens fans have become disgruntled with him over the past few seasons. He has led some of the best regular-season teams in recent memory, but time and time again, he has come up short in the playoffs. In such an underwhelming 2025 campaign, a case could be made that Harbaugh’s message has become stale, and change could be needed.

On Sunday, ESPN reporter Adam Schefter revealed some major insight regarding Harbaugh’s job security. While it sounds like he will be safe from a potential firing, the Ravens could be on the doorstep of having discussions about his future.

“[Harbaugh’s job] seems to be a situation that’s up in the air, where both sides will meet and discuss after the season what they want to do and what direction they want to go,” Schefter said. “I think there should be more conversation about Harbaugh, less about Tomlin.”

See the full segment below.

John Harbaugh’s seat could be heating up

While Schefter mentioned that he doesn’t expect Harbaugh to be fired that Sunday morning, a ton could change depending on the result of Sunday night’s clash. A loss would end what has been a disastrous year on the sourest note of all, missing the playoffs and allowing your biggest rival to sneak into the postseason.

The Ravens needed pretty much everything to go their way to get into a win-or-go-home scenario this week. Getting all that luck just to lose would be a significant blemish on Harbaugh’s coaching status. Additionally, getting swept by the Steelers, especially a Steelers team that has struggled in 2025, is unforgivable.

Getting beaten by Tomlin is far from new for Harbaugh. In fact, the Pittsburgh coach has Harbaugh’s number in their last 10 matchups, with the Ravens winning just three of those contests.

Simply put, not only is each team’s season on the line on Sunday Night Football, but the job security of Harbaugh and Tomlin could also be hanging in the balance. By the sounds of it, Harbaugh’s job is much more of a concern.