John Harbaugh will be an NFL coach in 2019. The only question at this point is where it will be.
If the Ravens, now 7-5, make it to the playoffs, Harbaugh could indeed end up getting a twelfth season in Baltimore. If the Ravens don’t make it, plenty of other teams could be interested.
How many will be interested depends on how many will have vacancies. It’s believed that the two teams with current openings will want to speak to Harbaugh, if he’s available. Other jobs undoubtedly will be coming open within the next 15 days. And maybe there will be a job or two that only will become open if Harbaugh would be the team’s next coach.
This raises the question of whether a team would contact the Ravens and initiate negotiations for what would amount to a trade of Harbaugh, if a deal can be reached on compensation between the teams — and if the new team can entice Harbaugh to make the move. Which then leads to the question of whether, even if the Ravens don’t make the playoffs, the will decide to hold onto Harbaugh for a week or so and wait for someone else to call.
However it plays out, and whichever team(s) may end up pursuing him, Harbaugh will likely be out of the NFL in 2019 only if he chooses to be. And the wheels undoubtedly already are churning, even in organizations that currently have a head coach, and maybe in some organizations that wouldn’t be on the list of teams that are expected to be looking for a new one.