Ravens Offensive and Defensive Coordinators expected to enter HC carousel

The Baltimore Ravens are currently tied for the first seed in the AFC with the Miami Dolphins, both sharing a 9-3 record through Week 13 but the Floridan team leading the race because of their in-conference results to date.

While the season has been fantastic for the Flock, that might also bring bad news as soon as next February as there is a chance that other teams without a head coach in place (or soon to fire their current one) might be trying to snatch both the Offensive and Defensive Coordinators from Baltimore to appoint them as their HC.

According to NFL insider Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post, "Baltimore is going to lose them both," as an executive told the reporter privately.

Said executive also said, "I like the OC (Todd Monken) more than the DC (Mike Macdonald)," which is not surprising considering the league's front offices' preference to sign and elevate OCs to head coaching positions before they do DCs. "The OC is going to be somebody’s head coach, man. He’s done it before. His offense was great at Georgia. He’s ready."

"Baltimore is going to lose them both. I like the OC more than the DC. The OC is going to be somebody’s head coach, man. He’s done it [at Southern Mississippi] before. His offense was great at Georgia. He’s ready."

- Anonymous NFL Executive

While Mike Macdonald has been widelily considered a head coach candidate for the future, including possibly getting hired for such position ahead of the 2024 season, we hadn't really heard the same about Todd Monken until now.

The Ravens have not seen a coordinator transition to a head coaching role at another franchise since 2015 when OC Gary Kubiak left Maryland to sign and coach the Denver Broncos. That could change in a matter of months, though.

Todd Monken, 57, returned to the NFL this season after a successful stint with the University of Georgia having prior experience in the pro league with stints at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Cleveland Browns as an offensive coordinator between 2016 and 2019.

On the defensive side, Mike Macdonald, 36, rejoined the Ravens' coaching staff last year, succeeding Don Martindale after spending one year coaching the defensive unit of the NCAA Michigan Wolverines under John Harbaugh's brother Jim.

Macdonald has no prior experience outside of Baltimore but he's mentioned as a head coach candidate for the 2024 season nearly weekly with multiple reporters floating his name as a must-hire coach by other organizations unless the Ravens (in what would be a shocking move) fire Harbaugh and appoint Macdonald as the HC of the team.

The final games of the regular season and the postseason will probably impact the future of the coaching positions in Baltimore and elsewhere, but it'd be rather surprising for the Ravens to fire Harbaugh as early as this upcoming offseason considering they have nearly clinched the playoffs already and are looking like a strong contender.

That said, it's unknown if Macdonald and Monken would take advantage of a unique opportunity and don't leave the train leave their station if a chance of getting hired as head coaches emerge next spring and leading into 2024 with that road blocked in Baltimore for the time being.

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