The first big domino in the NFL's head coaching carousel has already fallen. It just so happens to double as a big benefit to the Cincinnati Bengals.
After 18 years and a Super Bowl victory with the Baltimore Ravens, legendary head coach John Harbaugh will now lead the New York Giants into a new era. ESPN's Adam Schefter and the New York Post reported on the Giants' hiring of Harbaugh.
Hats off to the G-Men for pulling this off. Harbuagh was the biggest fish in the coaching pond, and they caught him. What a media circus New York is about to be with Harbaugh at the helm.
Anyway, let's dive into why this was such a colossal error on Baltimore's part, and how big of a win it is for the Bengals in 2026 and beyond.
Longtime Ravens coach John Harbaugh weakens Bengals' bitter AFC North adversary as Giants make splashy hire
Was it John Harbaugh's fault that Lamar Jackson kept choking in all those playoff games? Methinks not.
Look, Lamar is an elite quarterback. You don't win two league MVPs if you're a scrub. But he's also a 3-5 as a playoff starter with a measly 84.6 passer rating. Bengals superstar Joe Burrow, on the other hand, is 5-2 in the postseason and boasts a 93.8 passer rating.
The Ravens built their whole offense around Lamar and extended Harbaugh's tenure because of it. Unlike some old-head coaches, Harbaugh showed he could evolve with the modern game and build an unprecedented system around Lamar's strengths while also facilitating his continued growth.
All the buzz coming out of Baltimore toward the end of Harbaugh's time there, though, was that him and his QB weren't getting along super well.
So now Lamar, coming off an injury-riddled 2025 campaign when he wasn't near the dynamic threat he typically is as a runner, has to pick up a whole new offensive system. Has to adjust to a new head coach for the first time in his NFL career. Has to hope the new staff caters to his demands and capabilities as a player just as well as Harbaugh's offensive assistants did.
Sounds like a tall order, no?
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The Giants jumping all over Harbaugh just goes to show that the Ravens really messed up. The G-Men could've waited until the playoffs ended to expand their search even more. Nope. Harbaugh is that good. You don't let him leave the Big Apple, er, New Jersey without a deal. And they saw to it that that was the case.
Who's Baltimore honestly hoping to get who'll prove to be an upgrade over Harbaugh? Such a guy doesn't exist as things stand right now. The odds of striking such gold on two straight coaches are slim to none. Best of luck to them. Not! I hope they FAIL!
In the plot twist of the century, the Bengals' focus on continuity by retaining Zac Taylor as head coach could pay huge dividends, at least for the 2026 season. Every single other team in the AFC North will be dealing with new coaches.
At least the Ravens have Lamar to lean on, because who knows who the Browns will deploy as their QB1. Same goes for Pittsburgh since 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers is likely to retire, or at least flee the Steel City now that Mike Tomlin has.
Still can't believe the Bengals' division lost two absolute coaching greats in Harbaugh and Tomlin, plus a two-time Coach of the Year in Kevin Stefanski. Time for Cincinnati to take advantage.