Over their time in the AFC North, John Harbaugh, the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, and Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers have essentially been attached at the hip. Starting with the upcoming season, that will no longer be the case.
Several reporters shared content on social media. Harbaugh was dismissed by the Ravens on Tuesday night. After 18 seasons with the team, he leaves Baltimore.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network broke the story first. The Ravens and Harbaugh issued separate remarks around forty minutes after Pelissero’s revelation.
Harbaugh’s last game with Baltimore was an instant classic Steelers-Ravens matchup for the AFC North championship, which may have been fitting. In order to secure the division and keep the Ravens out of the postseason, the Steelers defeated them 26–24.
Together, Tomlin and Harbaugh have won 13 division titles over the last 18 seasons.
With 40 encounters, Tomlin and Harbaugh have set a new NFL record for the most head coaching encounters. Curly Lambeau and George Halas are the only two coaches in league history to have played one another more frequently.
While coaching the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers, respectively, Lambeau and Halas faced off 49 times.
With Sunday’s win, Tomlin’s record against Harbaugh increased to 23-17.