On Saturday afternoon, John Harbaugh was poring over film of the Texans, nearly missing a 44-yard field goal attempt before wrapping up his preparations for the Ravens’ playoff matchup.
Instead of focusing solely on the upcoming game, he found himself assessing the performances of Jackson Dart from the Giants and Cam Ward from the Titans—both top quarterbacks from the 2025 NFL Draft—as he gears up to be a candidate for head coaching positions with these teams, as noted by The Athletic.
Having led Joe Flacco to a Super Bowl win and coached Lamar Jackson to two NFL MVP awards, Harbaugh clearly understands the value of having a franchise quarterback.
For the Giants (4-13) and Titans (3-14), after rough seasons, what’s most enticing is the potential of these young quarterbacks.
So, who might Harbaugh lean towards?
Dart had a solid rookie year statistically, though he did miss two games due to a concussion.
When speaking with various offensive-minded coaches about the Giants’ job, many highlighted Dart’s potential as a significant plus.
But Ward’s ranking as the top choice isn’t without reason. The Giants traded up to snag him from the No. 3 spot, showing a clear intent to secure him as a priority.
Harbaugh is anticipated to start scheduling in-person interviews with interested teams soon, with the Falcons and Dolphins being at the top of his list due to their need for a general manager.
As reported by Paul Schwartz, Harbaugh, who previously had a $17 million annual salary with the Ravens, is expected to command a similar figure, likely matching Andy Reid’s $20 million, along with a noteworthy investment in his support staff.
He seems particularly interested in enhancing the strength and conditioning and analytics departments.
Given his previous refusal to part ways with Baltimore’s offensive coordinator Todd Monken, even amidst challenges with Jackson, it appears Harbaugh may want to bring Monken along to his next role.
In a previous interview, Monken reflected, “I didn’t coach Lamar enough. I didn’t build relationships as well as I could have. We didn’t do what was necessary this year to win enough games and give ourselves a real chance.”
He added, “I believe that. … I’m going to fight like hell to get the next job.”
