John Harbaugh, Ravens readying for mutual split

The Baltimore Ravens and John Harbaugh have been a terrific tandem, but the time has reportedly come to move on from each other.

Baltimore has been flirting with the notion of firing John Harbaugh since the end of last season, but now it seems the move is finally coming. According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, the Ravens are planning to split with Harbaugh at the end of the regular season.

Harbaugh has been at the helm in Baltimore since 2008, winning a Super Bowl in 2012. However, time have been tougher since, with Baltimore only reaching the playoffs once since. The Ravens started strong this year with a 4-2 beginning to the campaign, only to lose three straight against contenders in the Saints, Panthers and Steelers.

At 56 years old, Harbaugh might have one more stop left in him, although it’s not certain if he would want to continue coaching.

It’s a surprise in some respects that Baltimore would want to move on after this season, considering the crop of potential head coaches is weak. Lincoln Riley is the hottest available name, but the University of Oklahoma’s head man isn’t likely to head anywhere unless it’s Dallas or Cleveland.

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Then again, as aforementioned, owner Steve Bisciotti openly admitted that he thought about firing Harbaugh after the team went 8-8 a year ago. From that point on, the clock was ticking loudly.

With seven games left, perhaps Harbaugh can save his job with a big run to end the season, but it won’t be easy. Baltimore has road games left with the Falcons, Chargers and Chiefs, all games it will be a decided underdog in.

Should the split come to fruition and Harbaugh wants to coach immediately, he’ll have some options. The Denver Broncos are almost certain to be in play, along with the Browns, Buccaneers and Jets.