Ravens owner says he considered firing Harbaugh
Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti admitted Friday that he considered firing head coach John Harbaugh after the team missed the playoffs for a third straight season.
"It was certainly a consideration, but not one that I was inclined to make this year," Bisciotti said at his "State of the Ravens" news conference.
The Ravens went 9-7 this season in just falling short of making the playoffs. Baltimore went 8-8 last season and 5-11 in 2015. Prior to then, the Ravens had made the postseason under Harbaugh in six of his first seven seasons, including winning the Super Bowl in 2012.
Harbaugh, who took over for Brian Billick in 2008, has a 94-66 record in his time as the Ravens' head coach, but is just 40-40 since the team's Super Bowl win.
Despite considering firing Harbaugh after this season, Bisciotti said the coach's fate next season doesn't solely depend on if he makes the playoffs.
"He's under as much pressure than probably he's ever been in his life, and I expect him to keep his chin up and take his positivity and his talents and make the most of the season," Bisciotti said. "I may as well replace him now if I tell him to make the playoffs or you're out of town next year. That's not the way we run business here."
Harbaugh, whose contract was extended in August of 2017, is signed through the 2019 season.
The Ravens had one of the best defenses in the league this seasson, but the offense, hampered by injury and ineffectiveness from quarterback Joe Flacco, ranked 27th in averaging 305.4 yards per game.
"I was very proud of the way John kept fighting, held the team together when we were losing in the middle of the year," Bisciotti said. "Joe was obviously producing at substandard with his back injury and after the first couple of weeks, obviously, we were very encouraged by our defense and thought that could hold us together. We didn't perform very well in the middle of the year. I was proud of the way we fought back as a team."
--Field Level Media
