John Harbaugh is out as Baltimore Ravens head coach after 18 seasons
Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris was fired after a Week 18 win against the New Orleans Saints on January 4.
By Kevin Dotson, Frank Nunns OConnell, Jill Martin, Wayne Sterling, CNN
(CNN) — After 18 seasons on the sidelines in Baltimore, John Harbaugh is out as head coach, the team announced Tuesday.
“This was an incredibly difficult decision, given the tremendous 18 years we have spent together and the profound respect I have for John as a coach and, most importantly, as a great man of integrity,” Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said in a statement. “Throughout what I firmly believe is a Hall of Fame coaching career, John has delivered a Super Bowl championship to Baltimore and served as a steadfast pillar of humility and leadership.”
He added: “Our goal has always been and will always be to win Championships. We strive to consistently perform at the highest level on the field and be a team and organization our fans take pride in.”
The Ravens were a preseason favorite to appear in the Super Bowl next month in Santa Clara, California, but the team was eliminated from the postseason Sunday, losing a heartbreaker to divisional rival Pittsburgh Steelers 26-24.
Harbaugh led the Ravens to a Super Bowl title after the 2012 season. Baltimore defeated the San Franciso 49ers, who were coached by his brother, Jim Harbaugh, 34-31, in New Orleans.
“I was hoping for a different kind of message on my last day here, someday, but that day has come today. 😊 It comes with disappointment certainly, but more with GRATITUDE & APPRECIATION,” Harbaugh said in a statement.
“Gratitude to the owner and organization who was willing to bring in a head coach who made his mark with Special Teams success. A difficult thing to do … and Appreciation for all the moments, all these years, that are etched into eternity.”
Harbaugh compiled a 180-113 regular season record and was 13-11 in the postseason. He guided the Ravens to 12 playoff appearances and four AFC title games.
Baltimore becomes the seventh franchise looking for a new head coach after four were dismissed following Sunday’s final regular games. Earlier this season, the Tennessee Titans (Brian Callahan fired October 13) and New York Giants (Brian Daboll fired November 10) cut ties with their respective head coaches.
Cardinals fire Jonathan Gannon
Jonathan Gannon was fired Monday after the Arizona Cardinals ended the season with their ninth consecutive loss.
Arizona’s season began on a positive note with a 2-0 start. But it went off the rails, as the team lost 14 of the next 15 games.
In Gannon’s three seasons as head coach, Arizona went 15-36.
Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort remains at the helm.
Raiders fire Pete Carroll after one season
The Las Vegas Raiders relieved head coach Pete Carroll of his duties Monday after just one season in charge of the team, the franchise confirmed in a statement posted on social media.
Carroll’s reign was not a successful one, as his team went 3-14 in the regular season and, as a result, the Raiders became recipients of the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.
There will be speculation over whether this job will be the last of his illustrious career in football, as the 74-year-old becomes the oldest head coach in history to ever be relieved of their duties. He had formally coached the Seattle Seahawks from 2010-2023, leading the team to a Super Bowl win in the 2013 season.
Raiders owner Mark Davis said in a statement: “We appreciate and wish him and his family all the best. Moving forward, general manager John Spytek will lead all football operations in close collaboration with Tom Brady, including the search for the club’s next head coach.
“Together, they will guide football decisions with a shared focus on leadership, culture, and alignment with the organization’s long-term vision and goals.”
Browns let go of Kevin Stefanski
The Cleveland Browns kicked off the infamous day in the NFL calendar by relieving Kevin Stefanski of head coaching duties after six seasons in charge of the team, the franchise announced in a statement.
Cleveland ended the 2025 regular season with a 5-12 record, finishing bottom of the AFC North for a second consecutive season. Stefanski finished his tenure with the Browns with a 45-56 record.
Stefanski was hired by the organization in 2020 and led the team to its first playoff appearance since 2002 and its first playoff victory in 26 years. He was also a two-time NFL Coach of the Year with the organization in 2020 and 2023, becoming only the 16th coach to win the award multiple times.
“This was a difficult decision and today is a tough day for our organization because of the impact Kevin has had and the deep, meaningful relationships he has built across our building,” Browns general manager Andrew Berry said in a statement Monday.
“After six seasons as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns, I leave with an immense sense of gratitude,” Stefanski said in the statement.
“When I arrived in January of 2020, this organization, this community and Browns fans embraced me and my family with open arms. I cannot express properly in words how good we have been treated.”
Falcons fire Raheem Morris after two seasons
On Sunday, the Atlanta Falcons got a headstart on the rest of the league, announcing the firing of head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot.
The move came despite the Falcons finishing the season on a four-game winning streak to end the campaign at 8-9 in a three-way tie atop the NFC South, though the Carolina Panthers won the division through a series of tiebreakers.
A five-game losing skid in the middle of the season doomed Atlanta’s playoff hopes and likely sealed Morris’ and Fontenot’s fates.
Morris served as Falcons head coach for two seasons, finishing with an identical 8-9 record in both campaigns. Fontenot accumulated a 37-48 record in five seasons as the team’s GM.
“I have great personal affinity for both Raheem and Terry and appreciate their hard work and dedication to the Falcons, but I believe we need new leadership in these roles moving forward,” said Falcons owner Arthur Blank in a team statement.
“The decision to move away from people who represent the organization so well and have a shared commitment to the values that are important to the organization is not an easy one, but the results on the field have not met our expectations or those of our fans and leadership.”
The team says it will immediately begin concurrent searches to fill both positions.
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