Will Ravens Look to Hire Another 'CEO' Head Coach?
John Harbaugh exemplified the "CEO head coach" model during his 18 seasons in Baltimore. Will the next Ravens head coach be cut from the same cloth?
The Baltimore Banner’s Kyle Goon said it seems doubtful.
"When Harbaugh was hired in 2008 from his special teams coordinator role with the Philadelphia Eagles, it was viewed as an unconventional, off-the-radar choice," Goon wrote. "But over time Harbaugh became well regarded for his jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none approach. It allowed him, somehow, to take a larger view of the state of his team yet be close and personable up and down the roster. The approach, which is often admired but rarely replicated, may be best understood as a product of Harbaugh's personality. Getting a successor to follow the process might be the hiring equivalent of hoping lightning strikes twice.
"The NFL rarely has such memorable leaders who are generalists. The conventional path is to cut one's teeth on offense or defense to rise to the coordinator level, from which most head coaches are selected. Among the coaches in the playoffs this season, perhaps only Philadelphia's Nick Sirianni, who won the Super Bowl last year, is considered cut from the CEO cloth."
Goon noted that "the CEO model works less well when the coach has to draw up plays to save his season."
"You might trust Andy Reid, Kyle Shanahan or Sean McVay to design the perfect play for situational football, or you might expect DeMeco Ryans or Mike Macdonald to push the right defensive button," Goon wrote. "While Harbaugh developed a reputation over the years for gutsy calls and fourth-down conversions, his lack of a specialty never really gained him credibility as one of the NFL's best minds for X's and O's. The Ravens' approach and culture — gritty and disciplined, as well as having well-executed special teams — were more his calling card."
Goon said that based on the reported pool of candidates for the Ravens' head coaching job, the team
could be looking to go the traditional route, but he added that it's possible Owner Steve Bisciotti bucks conventional thinking again.
"The biggest reason? Bisciotti himself leads from the personable CEO model, according to former players," Goon wrote.
Ben Solak Predicts Ravens Will Part Ways With Marlon Humphrey This Offseason
Cornerback Marlon Humphrey is the Ravens' second-longest tenured player (one year less than left tackle Ronnie Stanley) and has been named to four Pro Bowls and two first-team All-Pro teams during his nine seasons in Baltimore.
Humphrey, who turns 30 this offseason, acknowledged after the regular-season finale that his future is uncertain.
ESPN’s Ben Solak predicted Humphrey will play elsewhere in 2026.
"The Ravens will part ways with cornerback Marlon Humphrey, whether via trade or just as an outright cut," Solak wrote. "Humphrey has been one of the most targeted – and least successful – cornerbacks deep downfield this season. He would hit the Ravens' cap for nearly $20 million in 2026, the final year of his current deal."
Grading Ravens' Top Rookies
Baltimore Beatdown’s Frank Platko issued grades for the Ravens' rookies. Here's a look at how Baltimore's four most significant first-year players fared:
S Malaki Starks: B-
"Expectations were high for the Ravens' first-round pick, who stepped into a starting safety role from Day 1. Starks was billed as an NFL-ready rookie following an impressive collegiate career at Georgia. However, like most first-year starters, Starks experienced his share of ups and downs, particularly early in the season. He wasn't always consistent as an open-field tackler and was responsible for the occasional coverage lapse as well. The good mostly outweighed the bad, though, and Starks became a sturdier force as the year progressed.
"Overall, Starks showed he has room for improvement but inspired confidence that he can be a solid starter for the Ravens moving forward with higher upside."
OLB Mike Green: C+
"Green wound up playing many more defensive snaps – 712 total (63%) – than expected due to injuries ravaging the position group, along with subpar performance from returning veterans. The results were mixed. Green definitely became more impactful as the year went on and wound up finishing with 3.5 sacks, 19 pressures, and 14 quarterback hits.
"Green showed flashes of being a potential high-level pass rusher but it's also evident he has room to grow with technique and as a run defender."
LB Teddye Buchanan: B-
"Buchanan surprisingly seized a starting linebacker spot very early in the season, usurping Trenton Simpson as the running mate alongside Roquan Smith. For a fourth-round pick, Buchanan displayed an immediate level of comfortability in the defense and sound technique, which saw his role increase quickly.
"Buchanan's performance was up-and-down throughout the year and he certainly has some room for growth, particularly in coverage consistency and open-field tackling. However, he was pretty solid against the run and wound up with 93 total tackles and a forced fumble in 14 games. He was named AFC Defensive Rookie of the Month for October."
K Tyler Loop: C+
"Loop had the worst possible ending to his rookie season, missing a 44-yard field goal in the Week 18 finale that would have sent the Ravens to the playoffs had it gone in. The untimely miss clouds what was otherwise a solid overall season as the team's new kicker.
"Prior to the miss, Loop was perfect on all of his kicks from less than 50 yards out. The sixth-round pick's accuracy from distance left much to be desired, though, as he made only one kick from 50+ yards all season on four attempts."
Odafe Oweh, Other Ex-Ravens Shine in Playoffs
Former Ravens outside linebacker Odafe Oweh had a big game in a losing effort for the Los Angeles Chargers, who were beaten by the New England Patriots, 16-3, in a Wild-Card playoff game Sunday night.
Oweh, who was sent to the Chargers along with a 2027 seventh-round pick in exchange for safety Alohi Gilman and a 2026 fifth-round pick, had a career-high and Chargers postseason-record three sacks against the Patriots in addition to three tackles for loss and three quarterback hits.
During the regular season, Oweh had 7.5 sacks with the Chargers in 12 games and none with the Ravens in four games.
The trade also benefited the Ravens. Gilman's addition allowed safety Kyle Hamilton to play closer to the line of scrimmage, and the defense instantly improved.
The Ravens essentially replaced Oweh, who is set to hit free agency, with Dre'Mont Jones, whom they acquired from the Tennessee Titans at the trade deadline for a fifth-round pick. The versatile Jones boosted Baltimore's pass rush on the interior and the edge. He had 2.5 sacks and 15 quarterback hits in nine games for the Ravens.
Oweh was not the only familiar face to make an impact in the playoffs during the weekend. Here are four other former Ravens who stood out:
- 49ers wide receiver DeMarcus Robinson had six catches for 111 yards and a touchdown in San Francisco's 23-19 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
- 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk had four catches for 49 yards, including three for 38 on the 49ers' two touchdown drives in the fourth quarter.
- Bills cornerback Tre'Davious White deflected Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence's pass into the hands of safety Cole Bishop for the game-clinching interception in Buffalo's 27-24 win. White finished the game with three passes defensed.
- Bears return specialist Devin Duvernay returned a punt 37 yards to the Green Bay Packers' 35-yard line in the final minute of the third quarter to help ignite Chicago's comeback 31-27 win. The drive ended with a 51-yard field goal to reduce the Bears' deficit to 21-9. Duvernay's 22-yard punt return early in the fourth quarter started a drive at the Bears' 34 that resulted in a touchdown and made the score 21-16. Duvernay finished with three kick returns for 80 yards (26.7 average) and three punt returns for 64 yards (21.3).
