Ravens New Contract for John Harbaugh Contains Shocking Detail
Prolonging John Harbaugh’s immediate future made sense for the Baltimore Ravens, rather than have their head coach go into the 2025 NFL season on an expiring contract, but one particular detail about Harbaugh’s deal is still positively shocking.
Specifically, it relates to the 62-year-old getting a three-year extension worth “actually north of his brother Jim,” according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
On first glance, the Ravens’ boss getting paid more than his brother, Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh, appears reasonable. After all, John is the Harbaugh brother with a Super Bowl title to his credit, won at Jim’s expense back in the 2012 season, no less.
Yet, it’s also fair to say John Harbaugh’s star has faded somewhat since, while Jim is still a marquee name in coaching circles. Winning a national championship with Michigan in 2022 kept Jim’s star on the rise.
Meanwhile, John’s recent struggles in the biggest games make the decision to reward his trust and pay him handsomely until 2028 somewhat surprising.
John Harbaugh’s Payday Comes With Risks
The risk of paying Harbaugh “north of” the $16 million annual salary his brother earns with the Chargers, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, has risks for the Ravens. Those risks are focused on upping the ante for a head coach who hasn’t been able to crack the playoff code since his lone Super Bowl season.
Numbers from Kevin Oestreicher of the Locked on Ravens podcast show how Harbaugh has won just four of 11 postseason games during the last 12 years.
