The John Harbaugh And Baker Mayfield Connection
January 7th, 2026
Leader of dangerous offense.
Former Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, a Super Bowl winner, is a free agent after getting sacked yesterday.
And yes, he has a connection to Baker Mayfield.
Reported here first back in March of 2023 was that the Ravens tried to sign Mayfield in free agency. They wanted him to be Lamar Jackson’s backup, or temporary replacement, as Jackson was in a contract squabble at the time. Mayfield wasn’t interested because he was pursuing a starting gig.
Joe had heard about the Ravens’ interest and was able to confirm it at the NFL owners meetings. Baltimore has a shrewd front office and was coming off a 10-7 season and a playoff loss to the Bengals.
Obviously, the move was approved by Harbaugh and then-Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, the 2018 Bucs playcaller.
And for the conspiracy types out there, there’s also the social media move by Mayfield’s wife.
Joe writes all this, of course, because Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said this week that he doesn’t have confirmation of his job security for 2026.
January 7th, 2026 at 8:34 am
Big News coming soon!
Call the sign painter!
Jason Lite needs to go too !
He is the Big Picture guy and failed miserably making the tough decision
January 7th, 2026 at 8:35 am
That last sentence is the most hopeful I’ve read since this debacle of a season ended.
January 7th, 2026 at 8:37 am
No news for Todd Bowels is good news for us.
I continue to refresh this site hoping for a scorched earth announcement!!!
January 7th, 2026 at 8:40 am
This is like when we signed Brady. I did not believe it, even for a while after it happened. It was too good to be true. So I am trying NOT to get too excited at this possibility.
BUT, OMG, Glazers you will be set for life if you bring him here. A NO BRAINER. I have been saying for weeks, this is a POOR season to find a good HC candidate. Harbaugh is a freaking NO BRAINER… IF the Glazers are willing to pay!
(Joe, isn’t Harbaugh one of the highest paid coaches in the NFL?)
January 7th, 2026 at 8:42 am
Harbaugh’s daughter also attends USF, sign him!
January 7th, 2026 at 8:45 am
Harbaugh is going to Cleveland.
January 7th, 2026 at 8:46 am
So are we suppose to believe that the Glazers are going to fire Bowles, pay his $10-$15 million severance package and then turn around pay Harbaugh a contract that will pay him a minimum $10 million a year? No I personally they won’t. I would love to be wrong even though I don’t see the affinity for Harbaugh given he hasn’t won a Super Bowl in a while.
If the Bowles fire Bowles which I believe happens tonight look for those budget names, Thomas Brown, Monken, Mike Lafleur imo
January 7th, 2026 at 8:48 am
So the connection is the Ravens wanted to sign him, but didn’t. And they wanted Baker to be basically what he is now…a backup. I say Baker is a back because he tends to lose to backups and backups out perform him, at least down the stretch this season.
We’ll find out very soon what HCs are lining up to coach Baker. New HCs tend to want their own QB and not start the QB that got the last guy fired.
Baker has one more season here max. He’s getting older and wants more money with more years on his contract. What HC will want to pay 100+ mil to an aging QB who cant get out of the first round or even make it to the playoffs.
If Harbaugh had trouble with a 2 time MVP QB what is he supposed to do with Baker?
January 7th, 2026 at 8:48 am
Take a cold shower, fanboys…
There is zero indication that Todd Bowles is going anywhere.
January 7th, 2026 at 8:50 am
Team needs to learn how to play football again.
Fundamentals, discipline and accountability.
I’m in….
January 7th, 2026 at 8:53 am
I am probably more pro Baker than quite a significant subsection of this group, but the next coach should not be determined by compatibility with Baker, even if he does stay beyond the year (which would be at most another 2 or 3 year extension tops).
I think the primary credentials should be if the next coach has great game management that will allow the team to turn things around and/or maintain a dominant performance without slipping. The defense and offense have had good moments, but when it matters the most poor clock and bad play calling let it all down. Individuals have bad moments, but bad tactics sink everything.
January 7th, 2026 at 8:53 am
Give it up Joe…
Todd Bowles isn’t going anywhere and you know it.
The Glazers are feckless cowards.
January 7th, 2026 at 8:57 am
First, I don’t understand people who are pissed with the Glazers, they must not remember or was to young when Hugh Culverhouse owned the team, horrific). The Glazers and Licht have brought 2 Super Bowl to Tampa. I think, not sure but, it’s at least 1 team in the NFL that have never been to a Super Bowl and several other that only been once, so I give plenty credit to the Glazers and Licht. Now as for Harbaugh, please NO to much like Bowles
January 7th, 2026 at 8:58 am
I think the world of Baker and his family. I want them to stay right here. He played his heart out over and over again. Sliding, shuffling, and so much more. Baker was the best choice after Brady. Glad to hear about the connection too.
In the same breath, he needs a solid back-up for when he is too hurt and someone he can mentor for the future. And what about when we may get way ahead in a game and you can put in the 2nd QB to finish the game and not have to worry about it while he gets to rest.
January 7th, 2026 at 9:03 am
John Harbaugh’s daughter is no longer attending USF!! She is in law school in Chicago.
January 7th, 2026 at 9:05 am
I would love this move! We must have a change. We need hope. Keeping Bowles means 9-8 at best and more likely 6-11.
January 7th, 2026 at 9:06 am
Colonel Angus Says:
January 7th, 2026 at 8:45 am
Harbaugh is going to Cleveland.
Cleveland or Atlanta
GO BUCS!!!!
January 7th, 2026 at 9:07 am
Please remember that no coach has ever won a SB with 2 teams. Not one. e careful what you wish for.
January 7th, 2026 at 9:07 am
*be careful. Can’t type today.
January 7th, 2026 at 9:11 am
Mayfield also has a connection to Monken, the Browns OC in 2019, who probably vouched for Mayfield to Harbaugh. I also remember reading some complimentary things that Monken had to say about Baker in the Cleveland media.
January 7th, 2026 at 9:17 am
WHAT WE NEED IS TO fire All THE KNOW NOTHING BRAINDEAD Baker Bashers Sick and tired of their idiotic nonsense polluting these pages. We don’t care to hear your 180 degree wrong POVs .It is a disease that spreads and flourishes with the ongoing misinformation of wrong thinking by the “Fake News” and their braindead followers.
Baker is everything you know nothing completely unqualified slugs say he is not.They are not even fans. They are basically a sick species of IT hecklers.
GO
January 7th, 2026 at 9:20 am
WHAT WE NEED IS TO fire All THE KNOW NOTHING BRAINDEAD Baker Bashers Sick and tired of their idiotic nonsense polluting these pages. We don’t care to hear your 180 degree wrong POVs .It is a disease that spreads and flourishes with the ongoing misinformation of wrong thinking by the “Fake News” and their braindead followers.
Baker is everything you know nothing completely unqualified slugs say he is not.They are not even fans. They are basically a sick species of IT hecklers.
GO Baker go Bucs. Stay away from old coaches and old players. You can’t turn back the clock.
January 7th, 2026 at 9:22 am
The Glazers have been very good for this organization. I just dont understand why they don’t act quickly on issues that appear to be glaring. Such as our HC sucking and losing the locker room, our defense nose diving all year. A very obvious bench the starting quarterback for a week or 2 so he can heal and nothing is done. There is quality coaching on the open market right now and no noise from Ray Jay. Wth???
January 7th, 2026 at 9:25 am
John Harbough would be perfect for us as he is a special teams specialist and bring Monken back as well
January 7th, 2026 at 9:27 am
No one will know until Rod Munch lets us know.
January 7th, 2026 at 9:31 am
According to my sources, big John just signed up for a season pass to Busch Gardens
January 7th, 2026 at 9:49 am
Bring in Kingsburry as OC with the promise to succeed Bowles as HC. Take one more year off Bowles extension. Fire him next year and promote Cliff. Long term consistency will require a HC/OC combo.
January 7th, 2026 at 9:53 am
I live in Baltimore since 2005…but grew up in Tampa in the 80s..90s..and early 2000s…im a ultra Tampa fan..point is since seeing the Slavens up close by default..john is mega overrated..he had lamar 8 plus years and literally has done nothing…same with Brady and Belicheat…the QBs carried these trash coaches..
HE MAKES HORRIBLE DECISIONS constantly…He literally the same as Bowles..
Most Tampa fans may not agree BUT IM FOCED TO HEAR BALTIMORE RADIO DAILY ETC…this guy is not the answer…HE WASTED LAMAR EVERY YEAR..they changed OCs & DC so many times and it never worked because of the HC..
Brian flores had vikings D electric…
We got a glimpse last year with coen on what we can be with PROPER COACHING…
January 7th, 2026 at 9:56 am
Folks running rapid with hate and contempt for a particular position player for the Bucs depend on cherry picking statistics, making medical statements or suffer from tunnel vision will have unless that player is released or traded one more season to spew their hate and contempt! Those suffering from tunnel vision more likely than not have never met him in person or seen him outside of game day!
January 7th, 2026 at 10:02 am
thanks bucs orange and white sometimes we need to hear this
January 7th, 2026 at 10:23 am
OMG!!!! Sign him!!!!!!!!
January 7th, 2026 at 10:35 am
Go get Stefanski, so he can get rid of baker…..Let’s Go Bucs!!
January 7th, 2026 at 10:49 am
RagingBrisket Says:
January 7th, 2026 at 8:48 am
Take a cold shower, fanboys…
There is zero indication that Todd Bowles is going anywhere.
Biscuit, he’s going or I’m going. Since ’68. Sigh.
January 7th, 2026 at 10:51 am
What a man baker is, he has his wife speaking for him now….what a joke!!!
January 7th, 2026 at 10:52 am
Stefanski goes to Atlanta and Harbaugh goes to either NY or Cleveland! The only draw the Bucs have is not state income tax in Florida! Those who want change, take a couple shots Jack Daniel’s and watch North Dallas Forty!
January 7th, 2026 at 11:00 am
Isn’t it obvious why the Ravens missed the playoffs this year? They lost Mike McDonald and their D sucked. Good coordinators make good head coaches, especially one that has a special teams background. I wonder if Dan Campbell would agree?
January 7th, 2026 at 11:12 am
As usual, many bizarre comments when it comes to Baker Mayfield. Let me get this straight: they sign Mayfield and he performs exceptionally well for two years and they go to the playoffs in 2023 and 2024 thanks in part to his performance. He starts out great in 2025, talk of MVP, but injuries to himself most of the offensive starters take their toll, along with some inexplicable play calling and an almost complete breakdown in the defense. So they come up one game short of another playoff, despite the challenges. Mayfield still has stats comparable or better than a bunch of QBs (Mahomes, Darnold, Lawrence, Nix, Purdy) about whom there is no controversy partly because they made the playoffs (except Mahomes) or because their fans know that every QB makes mistakes and that it is a team sport where there are ten other guys on the field with the QB. Was it Baker’s fault that McCollum gave the Falcons four points by being offsides or that the special teams were terrible or the defense could not stop the Falcons at 3rd and 28? Do the complainers think QBs of Mayfield’s skill lever grow on trees? The QBs whose stats are superior to Mayfield’s all have the benefit of outstanding offensive lines and solid defenses. Just replay any Rams game and observe pass protection and you can see why Stafford has had such a great year. When are the complainers going to realize that QB performance must be evaluated on the basis of what they have to work with? You would think from their comments that other QBs are perfect. For the record Baker had an accuracy rating of 73% for the year (63% completion rate). Given the conditions he worked under that is very good.
January 7th, 2026 at 11:14 am
“They wanted him to be Lamar Jackson’s backup, or temporary replacement, as Jackson was in a contract squabble at the time.“
From 1st overall pick to placeholder for a guy selected 31 spots after you in the same draft class. Says all you need to know right there
January 7th, 2026 at 11:18 am
PLawsom, exceptionally well is putting a lil extra cheese on there, 2024 absolutely, but we literally ended 2023 scoring 9 points in our last game. Not only that, but our first and final offensive drives in the playoffs ended on untimely INTs. So mediocre opening, and regrettable closing. Also, that season Mayfield showed the same struggles he’s displayed his entire career. 100+ NFL starts, still gettin fooled by sim pressures and robber coverages, but that’s another matter
January 7th, 2026 at 11:23 am
Warren Brooks Lynch
Lol. Is that all you need to know? How about Lamar’s 75 million cap hit next year? I think Mayfields goes up to like 50 mil this year, but I think they gonna extend him in offseason and get a less per year average after late season collapse. There’s obviously much more than their draft position from 8 years ago to be aware of, doh
January 7th, 2026 at 11:41 am
@OR Bucs
Sir, when a prospective coach is mentioned to have ties to our starting QB, that years ago he and the organization he was with were ONLY thinking about bringing in to keep as a seat warmer and potential clipboard/tablet holder while they negotiated a contract with a QB w/more talent and potential (shouldn’t even be a debate, unless you’re irrationally biase/endeared to Mayfield) what’s that say about how Harbaugh felt about Mayfield at the time?
Also, re-draft scenarios to determine value then in comparison to value after time accrued in the NFL, do you think anybody who had to revisit the 2018 draft would draft Mayfield ahead of Allen or Jackson after all 3 have had 8 years to build their NFL resumes? These are talks that go on in sports talk all the time, to act like I’m saying something wild, is wild in itself.
January 7th, 2026 at 11:45 am
The bucs will never win or go to the Superbowl with Baker Mayfield has our quarterback.
January 7th, 2026 at 11:51 am
Plawson. Baker has lost the past 5 games in a row with his late 4th quarters ints he lost 2 playoffs games do to a fumble and a int he’s not a franchise quarterback and this is why he’s on his 4th team rather y’all like or not. This year they’re probably going to tank 6-11 or 7-10 especially if they bring Bowles back.
January 7th, 2026 at 11:57 am
Bee Says:
January 7th, 2026 at 8:48 am
—
He’s 30 years old, far from an ‘aging’ QB.
I think he plays out his contract year, and they decide from there.
Bowles and Baker may be tied to the hip.
If ’26 is a failure, they both go.
January 7th, 2026 at 12:08 pm
Bee stays true to form saying Baker is a back-up. Yeah I didn’t see any back-ups ranked #1 for 6 weeks this year on a team with a lot of problems and ranked in the top 10 for the last 2 years. Yeah I missed that one. Bee can’t be too football sharp.
January 7th, 2026 at 12:13 pm
the fact that they viewed baker as a back up was not a good thing…
unless his more current body of buccaneer work wholeheartedly convinces them (harbaugh, monken) that he is undoubtedly a starter…and a good one at that
January 7th, 2026 at 12:21 pm
Oneilbuc. WBL. Bee. Munch. By most QB metrics, like yards passing and passing touchdowns, Baker Mayfield was top 10 in the NFL this year. The highest yards per carry of any QB in the entire NFL. You guys are absolute fools. In America, the average football fan knows of one player at Tampa Bay. His name is Baker Mayfield. And the Tampa area, for the most part, love him also. 3700 yards and 26 tds with 11 interceptions. A bad year? Bologna. Easily the best player on the team this year. Not even a close second. The only thing on the Glazer’s mind is getting our team superstar signed to a long term contract. Tampa Bay has made some boneheaded mistakes in 50 years. But losing Mayfield isn’t going to be one of them. And Kyle Trask could never have started at OU, much less anywhere in the NFL. You guys are just gonna have to get in line. It’s a long line so you guys best get a move on.
January 7th, 2026 at 1:07 pm
Had to look it up. Mayfield was seventh in the league in TD passes this year. Hmm. He was 10th in passing yards. Rushing the ball he was first among NFL QBs in yards per carry at 6.9. His QBR was excellent, I think top 7. Anybody that thinks we can trade for or draft a QB who is better than Mayfield needs a lobotomy. The Glazers and Jason Licht are focused on one thing this offseason. Putting the pieces in place to support their franchise QB. That’s the best way to go if it’s a Super Bowl contender we desire.
January 7th, 2026 at 1:19 pm
He finished 7th in the league in QBR. Ahead of QBs like Hurts, Goff, Darnold, Lawrence, Caleb Williams, Nix and Herbert. Except for Goff those QBs are all in the playoffs. And Mayfield had a better year than all of them. He’s better than all of them so that would make sense. At least the team had a bright spot this year.
January 7th, 2026 at 1:34 pm
Oneilbuc: Only Caleb Williams had more 4th qtr. winning drives this year than Mayfield. As you know, all QBs throw picks and you can always isolate a pick and say that was the reason they lost a particular game. Of the five games you reference, two of the interceptions were attributed by announcers as being caused by receivers failing to continue their designed routes. And Mayfied was not even in the game in the fourth quarter of the Rams game. He did throw what is called a pick early in that game when Otton had a perfect pass bounce off his chest and into the CBs hands. As for playoff performance, Mayfield has been in 5 playoff games and came up with 12 TDs and only 3 picks and is among the highest rated QBs for playoff performance. So your argument is weak at best.
January 7th, 2026 at 3:30 pm
I just can’t take another season of this. Why can’t the owners realize he’s a bust, best now to start making changes. My friends including myself have vowed no more season tickets. It’s so ridiculous to watch it, when you know they could easily correct the situation.