With six vacancies (other than the Ravens) and seven teams calling former Ravens coach John Harbaugh after his dismissal on Tuesday, at least one team without a vacancy made the call.
So which team(s) called? (It’s possible that more than one team without an opening called, if at least one of the teams currently looking for a coach did not.)
Here’s a look at the possibilities. And don’t blame us for doing it; Harbaugh’s agent lit the fuse by disclosing that seven teams called.
Jets: By all appearances, first-year coach Aaron Glenn lost the locker room. The final five games, with a minus-137 point differential (27.4 per game), was arguably the worst stretch ever for a franchise with plenty of rough spots. Still, owner Woody Johnson has shown no inclination to fire Glenn — and to owe him more than $40 million to not coach the team.
Dolphins: Michigan man Stephen Ross once pursued Michigan man Jim Harbaugh while the Dolphins still had a coach under contract. Why wouldn’t Ross make the call about Harbaugh’s brother, given the currently tenuous status of Mike McDaniel?
Bills: What if the Bills lose this weekend? Is it crazy to think the Bills would consider making a change? That said, swapping out one coach who failed to get to the Super Bowl during the prime years of a generational talent for another coach who failed to get to the Super Bowl during the prime years of a generational talent seems odd.
Steelers: If the team thinks Mike Tomlin, who seems to have a TV offer in his back pocket, could be leaving after the playoff run ends, it needs to be thinking about the next coach. Why not Harbaugh?
Bengals: There’s no way Mike Brown will finance Zac Taylor’s buyout and pay whatever it would take to get Harbaugh.
Colts: Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon has said Shane Steichen will be back. Could she view Harbaugh as an upgrade who may not be available if a change is made in 2027?
Chiefs: Andy Reid will be back for 2026. The phone call (if it happened) may have been as simple as, “Keep us in mind if you’re thinking about taking a year off and returning in 2027.”
Cowboys: See the Chiefs.
Commanders: Dan Quinn’s team badly regressed in 2025. Why wouldn’t owner Josh Harris at least consider the possibility of an upgrade to Harbaugh?
Packers: New team president Ed Policy made it clear in June that it’s an up-or-out year for coach Matt LaFleur and G.M. Brian Gutekunst. Could Policy have wanted to let Harlan (the son of former Packers CEO Bob Harlan) know that there may be a reason to let the wild-card round play out before making any decisions?
Buccaneers: There’s a vague sense still lingering that ownership could make a coaching change. Harbaugh’s availability could be the thing that pushes the Bucs off the fence.
At least one of those teams made the call. Maybe more than one. And if one of those teams fires its head coach in the coming days, it could be the first step toward hiring John Harbaugh.
Former Bengals wide receiver Jordan Shipley is hospitalized in Austin, Texas after an accident on his ranch.
In a statement released through the University of Texas, Shipley’s family said he was working on a machine that caught fire and caused “severe burns” to Shipley’s body. Shipley was taken to a local hospital and then flown to Austin for further treatment.
Shipley was in critical but stable condition at the time the statement was released on Tuesday night.
Shipley was a two-time All-American at Texas and is the school’s all-time leader in receptions. He was a Bengals third-round pick in 2010 and played in 17 games over two seasons with the team. He also played for the Buccaneers and Jaguars in 2012.
Buccaneers outside linebacker Yaya Diaby says the team’s disappointing season was due in part to practices that weren’t intense enough to prepare the team for the physicality of game day.
Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles used a lot of lower-intensity walk-through practices because so many players were injured, but Diaby says practices in the NFL can’t always be easy, or else the players aren’t ready for the rigors of a game.
“We had more walk-throughs this year than any other year,” Diaby said, via PewterReport.com. “I’m not going to lie. I’m a straightforward guy. That’s one of the things I do want to talk to Coach Bowles about, especially with me possibly being a captain next year. Just letting him know that has to change. We need to prepare the right way. We have to prepare to win. I know injuries are a big thing in this league, but being ready for a game is just as important as anything else. Me, I love practice. This whole year, the practices that we’ve had that we’ve actually run through, I take it super serious. His point is to have mental reps, and I understand the mental reps. But at the same time, football is a physical game. You have to be in it. You can’t just walk through everything. I feel like that’s the next step, especially with me being here three years and seeing what we’ve done good and what we’ve done bad. That’s the next step.”
After making the playoffs the last five years, the Bucs fell short this year. Something has to change, and Diaby thinks it’s the way the team practices.
The Colts claimed linebacker John Bullock off waivers, the team announced Monday.
The Buccaneers waived Bullock on Friday.
Bullock appeared in 15 games with the Buccaneers this season, playing five defensive snaps and 253 on special teams. He totaled 10 special teams tackles.
He originally signed with Tampa Bay as an undrafted free agent on May 9.
Bullock saw action in 47 career games at Nebraska and recorded 126 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, eight passes defensed, one interception and three forced fumbles. He garnered honorable mention All-Big Ten recognition in 2024.
Todd Bowles held his end-of-season news conference on Monday afternoon. He’s still the coach of the Buccaneers, but for how long?
Bowles was asked whether his presence is a sign that he is back in 2026.
“I just [am] thankful that I wake up every morning and I have a chance to go to work, so I can’t worry about other [NFL] coaches or what they do. I just know what my job is and what I try to do,” Bowles said, via Greg Auman of Fox Sports.
Bowles said he has not met with ownership but will later this week.
The Bucs are 35-33 in his four seasons, but this is the first season that they didn’t make the postseason under Bowles. The Bucs tied with the Panthers and Falcons for the NFC South title, but Carolina won the tiebreaker.
Bowles was asked what he would say to fans who don’t think he’s earned the right to return in 2026.
“All I can do is coach and be myself,” Bowles said. “I’ve earned the chance. I won three straight division titles. So that says a lot, as far as I’m concerned.”
Bowles said he, like ownership, fans and players, is “disappointed with the results” and takes accountability for the failure to make the postseason this season.
“It starts and ends with me,” Bowles said.
