Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh find themselves at a crossroads between postseason glory and an uncertain offseason as the 2025 NFL regular season reaches its climax. The Pittsburgh Steelers are set to host the Baltimore Ravens at Acrisure Stadium in a Week 18 clash that carries implications far beyond the AFC North standings.
The stakes for the Sunday night finale are absolute: it is a “win-or-go-home” scenario for both franchises. The victor will clinch the AFC North division title and secure a guaranteed spot in the playoffs. Conversely, the loser will be eliminated from postseason contention entirely, forced to wait until next year for another opportunity.
According to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, the outcome of this game could also define the long-term coaching futures for both organizations. During a recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Schefter suggested that the loser of this high-stakes matchup may face a significant shift in leadership.
“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,” Schefter said. “We heard Ravens fans say there should be conversations about John Harbaugh after the season — somebody, one of those two teams, is going to come up short“.
John Harbaugh shakes hands with Mike Tomlin. (Getty Images)
While Schefter’s comments are speculative and tied to the game’s outcome, they reflect the mounting pressure both tenured coaches face. He suggested that the high stakes of the 2025 season could lead to an unexpected “wide range of outcomes,” noting that in the NFL, “every year there’s things that happens that never just goes the way that people think“.
Coaches may hold the keys to their own exit
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In a follow-up to his analysis of the high-stakes Steelers-Ravens finale, Schefter indicated that the ultimate decision regarding these coaching futures may rest with the men themselves. Rather than a standard firing, Schefter suggested that a loss in Week 18 could prompt either Mike Tomlin or John Harbaugh to voluntarily walk away from the sidelines.
“I also think that these coaches, Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh… they will have a big say,” Schefter explained. “I think these guys will go in and say, ‘Okay, you know what? It’s been a great run.’ One of them may say, ‘Might be time to go try something else,’ whether that’s TV or another job somewhere else. Those things are possible”.
Both Tomlin and Harbaugh have steered their respective franchises for nearly two decades—Tomlin for 19 seasons in Pittsburgh and Harbaugh for 18 in Baltimore—achieving rare levels of stability and success.
However, as both teams struggle to meet championship expectations and find themselves on the playoff bubble, the pressure has intensified. For these two icons, Sunday Night Football may not just be about a division title; it could be the final chapter of their historic runs if they decide it’s time for a change of scenery.
