Feb. 13, 2026, 12:01 p.m. ET

John Harbaugh served the Baltimore Ravens for 18 seasons as their head coach before he was fired by owner Steve Bisciotti last month.

Many felt that Harbaugh, who compiled a 180-113 regular-season record and won a Super Bowl, was let go because of a missed field goal in the team’s season finale against Pittsburgh, which cost Baltimore a divisional title and a trip to the AFC Playoffs.

That wasn’t the case, as it was found out afterward. Appearing on the BMore Football podcast, Harbaugh learned the truth about his firing from host Jerry Coleman.

From NJ Advance Media:

“It was tough. I mean, it hurts like you said,” Harbaugh said, via YouTube. “It hits you hard, and you realize it’s coming to an end.”

The most stunning disclosure came when podcast host Jerry Coleman shared his shock about something Bisciotti had revealed during a press conference. 

“The biggest jaw-dropper for me though, and usually I’m not surprised during these press conferences, but I asked Steve, had Tyler Luke made that field goal, what would have happened? And he said, ‘You still would have been gone,’” Coleman recounted.

This revelation — that even a playoff victory wouldn’t have saved Harbaugh’s job — raised questions about when exactly Bisciotti had made his decision.

Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.

Harbaugh went on to wonder out loud what would have happened if the Ravens had gone on to make some noise in the postseason.

“If we’d have won four games and won the Super Bowl after that, I’m pretty sure I’d still be there right now,” he said. “I don’t know. That’d be my guess. But it didn’t happen that way. So, it doesn’t matter, you know, and again, I understand completely the thinking behind it. And, you know, it’s all good.”

All good for the Giants, too. Baltimore’s loss is New York’s gain. The Giants hired Harbaugh without any reservations. Unlike the Ravens, they have not had much success in the past 12 seasons and will appreciate having him run their team for the foreseeable future.