Ravens Remain Committed to John Harbaugh

Harbaugh has guided the team since 2008.

BALTIMORE — It was no surprise this week when news broke that the Ravens are looking to reach a contract extension with coach John Harbaugh.

His contract ends at the end of next season and Baltimore certainly did not want Harbaugh working on a one-year deal, giving the impression that he is a lame-duck coach,

Harbaugh has his detractors but you cannot ignore his success.

The Ravens have made the playoffs in nine of his 14 seasons, including a Super Bowl championship in 2012. Harbaugh has gone 148-96 (.607), including the playoffs, over his career, which ranks fifth among active coaches.

The Ravens are also a team that has mostly avoided controversy with Harbaugh as the head coach. The biggest issue was the Ray Rice domestic violence incident in 2014 and the franchise handled that situation swiftly and decisively.

Baltimore is also headed into an uncertain offseason. 

The Ravens ended the year with 19 players on injured reserve. The Ravens also dealt with COVID issues and quarterback Lamar Jackson was limited to 12 games.

The team entered the year with Super Bowl aspirations but finished 8-9 and ended a streak of three consecutive trips to the playoffs.

The Ravens ended the season on a six-game losing streak but five of those losses were by a total of eight points.

Harbaugh must find a new defensive coordinator after parting ways with Don Martindale. 

The Ravens have 15 unrestricted free agents. They'll likely look into bringing back fullback Pat Ricard and center Bradley Bozeman, but there are no guarantees.

The team also must decide whether to sign Jackson to a long-term contract extension.

Owner Steve Bisciotti is obviously committed to Harbaugh, who has signed five contract extensions since taking over the Ravens. 

As a result, the Ravens are going to lean on Harbaugh to guide them through this unsteady time.