Baltimore Ravens’ choice of Lamar Jackson over John Harbaugh sets off NFL domino effect

In one of the NFL’s worst-kept secrets, the Miami Dolphins are in the mix to hire Super Bowl-winning head coach John Harbaugh.

Franchise owner Stephen M. Ross, a University of Michigan alumnus and major university benefactor, became familiar with the perennial winner while Jim Harbaugh coached the Wolverines. Ross’ affinity for John is widely known, league sources said, and the only impediment to the club’s pursuit of the older Harbaugh brother was that Miami’s top coaching position was filled.

Ross removed that hurdle Thursday – firing embattled head coach Mike McDaniel.

In four seasons on the job, McDaniel led the Dolphins to two winning seasons and consecutive playoff berths during the 2022 and 2023 seasons – their only postseason appearances in the past nine seasons. As late as Monday, it appeared McDaniel would move forward with the franchise into next season.

While meeting with reporters that day, McDaniel said he would be part of management’s interviews to hire a new general manager. On Tuesday, word emerged that the Baltimore Ravens cut ties with Harbaugh after 18 seasons. During his tenure, Harbaugh led Baltimore to 12 postseason berths, four appearances in the AFC Championship Game and a victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII.

As the Dolphins dropped to 2-7 this season, McDaniel appeared to be on shaky ground, especially after Ross ousted longtime general manager Chris Grier in October (officially, the Dolphins and Grier mutually agreed to part ways). Reportedly, the Dolphins’ team culture was a hot mess, with a lack of player accountability being the foremost problem.

But the team rallied late, including rattling off four consecutive victories, and finished 7-10. Confidently, when mentioning his role in the club’s GM search, McDaniel informed reporters this week he would be the Dolphins’ leader “until told otherwise.”

On Thursday, Ross did just that.

Any club owner hoping to entice Harbaugh – by far the most-decorated coaching candidate in this hiring cycle – to come aboard would want the proven leader to be comfortable with the Dolphins’ pick for general manager. Los Angeles Chargers assistant general manager Chad Alexander is among the finalists for the position.

Alexander has strong ties to the Ravens’ organization, and he worked closely with Harbaugh. Beginning his 20-year Ravens career as a player-personnel assistant under legendary GM Ozzie Newsome, Alexander rose to become a scout, the assistant director of pro personnel and the assistant director of pro and college personnel. The Dolphins are expected to announce their next general manager this week, possibly as early as Friday.

The firing of McDaniel, who identifies as biracial, leaves only five head coaches of color in the 32-team league. The league has four Black head coaches: Todd Bowles of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Aaron Glenn of the New York Jets, DeMeco Ryans of the Houston Texans and Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Dave Canales of the Carolina Panthers is of Mexican- American descent.

If the Dolphins ultimately persuade Harbaugh to join them, that will eliminate yet another opening where a qualified candidate of color might be seriously considered. That established, signing Harbaugh would be a major victory for the Dolphins.

Make no mistake: Largely because of Harbaugh, Lamar Jackson will end up being in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. That’s just a fact.

The Ravens’ decision to pick Jackson in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft – in opposition to the league-wide view of Jackson – was truly an organizational move. Harbaugh, Newsome, club owner Steve Bisciotti and future team general manager Eric DeCosta went all-in on the 2016 Heisman Trophy winner from Louisville.

While many of the league’s most-respected talent-evaluators – including Hall of Famer Bill Polian, the architect of several Super Bowl teams – said Jackson needed to switch positions to play in the NFL, the Ravens saw into the future.

With Harbaugh leading the way on the field, the Ravens scrapped their offense after Jackson’s rookie season and rebuilt it to maximize Jackson’s powerful passing arm and his unique running skills. Even after the strategy succeeded spectacularly, Harbaugh never became complacent, keeping Jackson’s development front of mind.

After Jackson’s breakthrough second season, in which he led the league with 36 passing touchdowns and set an NFL quarterback rushing record of 1,206 yards (averaging an astounding 6.9-yards per rush), Harbaugh determined that improvement in the deep passing game would be the next phase in Jackson’s evolution. Harbaugh was intentional with his offensive coordinators, making his desires clear and reinforcing what needed to occur.

During the 2024 season, Jackson slammed the door on all the wrongheaded talk about his supposed shortcomings in the pocket. In fact, he was both so spectacular and efficient while remaining between the tackles, it was hard to remember that so many of his onetime doubters said he’d never been competent in that area, let alone great.

Jackson is a two-time Associated Press MVP. He’s a three-time first-team All-Pro.

Many Ravens supporters, however, have grown frustrated by the team’s recent postseason disappointments under Harbaugh.

In 2019, the Ravens were seeded No. 1 in the AFC playoffs. They lost in the divisional round. Again in 2023, Baltimore had home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. It lost in the championship game.

Last season, the Ravens suffered another heartbreaker on the road in the divisional round against the Buffalo Bills. Still, Bisciotti had so much confidence in Harbaugh, he rewarded him with a three-year contract extension in March 2025.

The Ravens missed the playoffs this season and are 2-3 under Harbaugh in their last three trips to the postseason. But if a rookie placekicker who was 29 for 29 on field-goal attempts within 50 yards had connected from 44 yards in the last game of the regular season, Baltimore would have won its third straight AFC North title.

Reportedly, Bisciotti wanted changes made on Baltimore’s coaching staff, and Harbaugh wanted to run it back with his guys. But there’s no way to sugarcoat this: If Jackson wanted Harbaugh to return, Harbaugh’s name would still be on the head coach’s office door at 1 Winning Drive in Owings Mills, Maryland.

Jackson, 29, is in his prime. Bisciotti needs to keep him happy.

Strip away the other factors – and surely there were some, because there always are in breakups – and the reality in Baltimore is simple: Bisciotti chose Jackson over Harbaugh. When Jackson declined to endorse Harbaugh – his only head coach in the NFL – after Baltimore’s season-ending loss in Pittsburgh, he tipped his hand.

Whatever caused the rift no longer matters. The die is cast.

Bisciotti and Jackson are moving on without Harbaugh – owning everything that comes with that decision. Harbaugh, if he chooses, will start over elsewhere, possibly in one of the NFL’s most favorable climates.

For such a long time now, the word has been out on Harbaugh, who’s one of the best head coaches in the game. Perhaps in Miami or elsewhere soon, he’ll get an opportunity to remind Jackson and the Ravens.

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