Any late-season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens is loaded with storylines, but Sunday night's season finale to decide the AFC North came with rare uncertainty surrounding two fixtures of the rivalry.
Coaches Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh, the two longest-tenured head coaches in the NFL, have been the subject of rumors regarding their futures. Per reports, Tomlin is not at risk of being fired, but he could at least consider stepping away to pursue other opportunities. For Harbaugh, a decision might not be as one-sided.
While Tomlin's future will have to wait at least another week before any movement, Harbaugh might be on the clock after the Ravens' last-second loss to the Steelers in the final game of the season.
Here's what you need to know about Harbaugh's future in Baltimore.
MORE: Tracking every NFL head coach on the hot seat
Will the Ravens fire John Harbaugh?
Speaking about Tomlin's future in Pittsburgh on Sunday morning, ESPN's Adam Schefter said, "the coach that people really should be focusing in on in that division is the Baltimore Ravens’ John Harbaugh," calling the coach's future "up in the air."
"Both sides will meet and discuss after the season what they want to do and what direction they want to go," Schefter said, though he added he is "leaning" toward calling Harbaugh safe "until those conversations occur."
While some fans have called for Harbaugh's firing before, Schefter's report indicates the possibility of a split between the two sides this offseason is at least on the table.
The Ravens are coming off their worst season in five years, and while injuries to Lamar Jackson were a factor, Baltimore lost some games it likely believed it should have won, between a Week 1 collapse against the Buffalo Bills and a Thanksgiving blowout at the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals.
The chances of a breakup between Harbaugh and the Ravens aren't clear, but the longtime coach's stats will be worth monitoring in the days ahead.
MORE: Ravens suffer heartbreaking defeat on Tyler Loop's missed field goal
How long has John Harbaugh coached the Ravens?
Harbaugh was hired by the Ravens in 2008 and is in his 18th season as the team's head coach. Only one NFL head coach has been with his current team longer: Tomlin, who has been battling Harbaugh at least twice each year since his second season in Pittsburgh.
Of his 18 seasons, Harbaugh has only posted a losing record twice. The Ravens transitioned seamlessly from Joe Flacco to Lamar Jackson in 2018, returning to the playoffs in Jackson's rookie season and morphing into a force in the AFC in the years that followed. Jackson has yet to lead Baltimore to a Super Bowl, however, and his only AFC championship appearance was a home loss to the Chiefs as favorites.
MORE: Ranking the 13 greatest Ravens players of all time
John Harbaugh record
| W | L | Pct. | |
| Regular season | 180 | 112 | .616 |
| Playoffs | 13 | 11 | .542 |
Among active coaches, only Andy Reid, Mike Tomlin and Sean Payton have more career wins than Harbaugh. For some Ravens fans, though, a lack of playoff success, a litany of blown leads and now a losing season have Harbaugh wearing out his welcome.
The Ravens' losing season is only Harbaugh's second in the last 10 years, as he hasn't won fewer than eight games since 2015, and the organization is averaging exactly 10 wins per season since he was hired in 2008. The last time Baltimore won more than one playoff game in the same season, however, was the franchise's Super Bowl run in 2012.