Even though the Ravens recently announced that John Harbaugh will return in 2019, other NFL teams think the veteran coach could be pried loose from Baltimore.
At least one team pondering a head-coaching change is considering calling the Ravens to inquire about Harbaugh if Baltimore doesn't advance to the postseason Sunday, league sources told ESPN.
The team that is considering a coaching change believes that Baltimore would be more apt to part ways with Harbaugh if the Ravens fall short of the postseason, according to sources.
The Ravens will win the AFC North if they beat the Browns in their season finale. But a Ravens loss at home to Cleveland, combined with a Steelers win over the last-place Bengals, would give Pittsburgh the division crown and knock Baltimore out of playoff contention.
The Ravens announced earlier this month that they are working on a contract extension for Harbaugh, who is scheduled to be headed into the last year of his current deal next season.
Multiple sources around the league think that the Ravens made their announcement about Harbaugh as a scare tactic to other teams and a way to tell them to keep away.
Harbaugh, 56, is the winningest coach in Ravens history with a 113-77 record (including playoffs), and he guided the team to a Super Bowl title in the 2012 season. The Ravens have been one of the most stable franchises in the NFL in terms of coaching continuity, as Harbaugh is only the third coach in the team's 23-year history.
Among active NFL coaches, Harbaugh holds the fifth-longest tenure with the same team, trailing only Bill Belichick, Marvin Lewis, Sean Payton and Mike Tomlin.
ESPN's Jamison Hensley contributed to this report.