In ESPN insider Adam Schefter's estimation, the Steelers and Ravens will have more on the line than just their playoff ambitions when they face off in the NFL's season finale this weekend.
Speaking on The Pat McAfee Show on Monday, Schefter intimated that the outcome of Sunday's game, which will mark the end of the 2025 campaign for one of the two teams, could actually influence the future of the coach of the losing team, whether that's Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin or Baltimore's John Harbaugh.
"I think where it's interesting is that Sunday night game. Because somebody's going to lose that game. And when somebody loses that game, we heard the Steelers fans chanting to fire Mike Tomlin earlier in the year. We've heard Ravens fans saying that there should be conversations about John Harbaugh after the season. ... One of those fan bases is going to be unhappy," Schefter said, asked about coaches on the hot seat at the minute.
"One of those owners is going to want to have some conversations about what went wrong. And so I don't know what's going to happen. ... But every year, there are always some things that happen, it never goes the way that people think it will."
"I also think that both of these coaches, Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh, for all they've done, for all they've meant to their respective organizations, for all they've meant to the National Football League, they will have a big say. You mentioned owners, I didn't say owners. I think these guys [Harbaugh and Tomlin] will go in there and say, ... 'Okay, it's been a great run. Might be time to go try something else.' Whether that's TV or another job somewhere else. Like, those things are possible. They're within the realm of possibility for the wide range of outcomes after Week 18."
Watch that below around 1:26:52:
In other words, Schefter is saying that a loss for either the Steelers or the Ravens could be enough to warrant a change at the top of the eliminated team, whether that change is the decision of the coach in question or that of the ownership behind him. Said coach could then perhaps try for a job elsewhere, or maybe even look for a TV gig (for what it's worth, Tomlin's name has been floated multiple times as a strong broadcast candidate).
It’s worth noting that Schefty does seem to be mostly spitballing here, using his knowledge of the league to make an educated guess at the future; i.e., just because he is saying this does not mean it will happen. But, given how tapped in he is to the NFL environment, it's always worth noting his predictions.
Plus, both the Steelers' and Ravens' fanbases have been rather fed up with coaching as of late. Although Tomlin just clinched his 19th consecutive non-losing season, he has not had a playoff win in almost a decade, and the way Pittsburgh has been playing as of late doesn't inspire confidence that this is the year they finally advance. There were also "Fire Tomlin" chants at the home stadium just weeks ago. Harbaugh, meanwhile, has sort of been on the hot seat this season, as the Ravens' once-promising year got away from them.
And you can't blame fans for thinking some fresh blood might do the trick for their franchise. Tomlin and Harbaugh are currently the two longest-tenured active head coaches in the league. And as they say, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing again and expecting a different result.
So, we'll see what happens on Sunday. As of this writing, the Ravens are currently favored in the winner-take-all tilt by 3.5 points, even though Jackson's availability is up in the air. It could be a swan song no one saw coming.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFL Insider Details Coaching Stakes for Tomlin, Harbaugh in Steelers-Ravens Finale.
