There is nothing to hide anymore: the Ravens are going to face competition from other NFL front offices after the season when it comes to dealing with the future of their sublime Defensive Coordinator Mike Macdonald ahead of the 2024 season.
That's not good now for the present, but it's definitely worrying for the future of the franchise. Of course, if Baltimore can capitalize and win the Super Bowl next February then losing Macdonald... well, so be it. If the Ravens fail to win the chip, however, they might lose both the title and their main defensive orchestrator.
The 36-year-old, second-year Ravens DC, is about to hit the offseason with many options on the table, most of them leading him to become the head coach of an NFL franchise. Will Macdonald opt to stay put in Baltimore on a DC role... or will he take the head coach train without letting him go next spring?
Here are some options Macdonald might have to study ahead of the next regular season and once the postseason is over in February.
1. Carolina Panthers - Head Coach
The Panthers have been an absolute disaster this season. They drafted a quarterback with the No. 1 pick yet they have been able to win just a meager couple of games all year long, and on top of everything they won't have their sky-high 2024 draft pick as they traded it away last spring.
Carolina fired Frank Reich mid-season and will be looking for a new head coach as soon as they can in order to get things right before losing any time so they can right their wrongs ahead of the 2024 regular season.
The Panthers have alternated between hiring offensive and defensive minds in the past, and that means Macdonald could be a prominent figure and candidate to take the reins of the franchise next season, even with his short resume within the league's higher ranks.
That said, this is perhaps one of the least appealing available jokes for anyone to take considering the precarious status of the franchise. On the other hand, the pressure would probably be non-existent so Macdonald would have ample room to operate and develop at his own pace.
2. New England Patriots - Head Coach
All signs point toward the departure of long-time HC Bill Belichick from New England following his and the franchise's worst season in forever.
The Patriots, since waving goodbye to Tom Brady, have been unrecognizable. No, there is no debate about who was carrying the franchise to their two decades full of titles: it was the GOAT quarterback, not the coach, full stop.
With Belichick out of the picture and the franchise, there is a chance for someone from outside the organization to take the reins of it starting next season. On top of that, the Patriots could also explore the possibility of launching an entirely new era by signing a new GM.
If that's the case, Joe Hortiz has been rumored as a potential leading candidate for the General Manager position. Hortiz is the Ravens' director of player personnel, which means he and Macdonald might scheme a plot to bolt away from Baltimore and start a new adventure together in New England.
While it's true that the Patriots will need to find a new quarterback for their present and future, the franchise is solid at other positions and all they need is someone to lead the team from the sideline and the pocket next.
With Hortiz and Macdonald knowing each other already and most probably aligning their priorities, this is a very solid option for Mike Macdonald.
3. Los Angeles Chargers / Las Vegas Raiders - Head Coach
I have bunched these two together because they are the two least probable options when it comes to Macdonald leaving Baltimore to take on a head coach position.
The Chargers and the Raiders have both fired their head coaches mid-season, although it's still unclear how they will approach appointing a new leader ahead of the 2024 season.
Los Angeles is seemingly going to try and hire someone from outside the organization, but Las Vegas might retain in-house interim coach Antonio Pierce for the next year following a reasonably good finish to the regular season this year.
The Chargers have always preferred to appoint offensive minds before they go with defensive coaches at the HC role, so Macdonald is most probably not at the top of their list when it comes to potential interviewees and candidates for the position.
The Raiders trusted Pierce and the players seem to have liked him so far, so it's fair to assume he would at least lead the race once the interviews (if they're conducted at any point at all) get going in Las Vegas.
Both teams have elite players at some positions (the Chargers more than the Raiders), although Los Angeles is obviously projected to be the strongest team in the near future when compared to Las Vegas and their ongoing struggles at the quarterback position with no clear starter in the roster for next season.
4. Baltimore Ravens - Defensive Coordinator / Future Head Coach
Barring a completely unexpected turn of events, the Ravens will once more have to go by John Harbaugh's orders next season at the very least. Harbaugh has been questioned at times by Ravens fans for failing to win postseason games, but he's hella solid at getting the team to the playoffs.
With Baltimore already in the postseason and most probably entering the playoffs with a top-3 seed in the AFC no matter what they do during the rest of the regular season, it's fair to assume that the Ravens will at least win a game and be playing football in the latter days of January.
If Macdonald decides to stay with the Ravens, odds are he does so in his current DC role with Harbaugh staying put at HC. Now, could Harbaugh retire (or at least leave on a sabbatical before returning to coach another franchise in the future) if he wins his second Super Bowl next February? Could he get fired if the team implodes during the next month? Next season, maybe?
It's been said that the Ravens are trying to nurture Macdonald before naming him the successor to Harbaugh at the head coach position, so this could be the most enticing option for the current defensive coordinator if he's been informed of that.