The Baltimore Ravens fell short of just two games to be in the Super Bowl. Everything has happened between the last fumble of Mark Andrews to the QB, throwing the team under the bus. But John Harbaugh‘s team must have moved on from the wounds of 2024 and started preparing for the 2025 season. And guess what? The Ravens have made their first bold move for the upcoming season. The next season is set to kick off on September 6, 2025. What’s the bold move? Let’s dive in.

John Harbaugh’s Ravens made one of the out-of-the-box moves as they re-hired former Ravens secondary coach Chuck Pagano. And regarding this, Harbaugh sent a strong message, “It is exciting to add Chuck Pagano to our defensive staff and continue to develop and grow our young and talented secondary. Chuck brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and coaching talent to our team. He has deep ties to the program and is excited to get to work.” He worked as a secondary coach for the Ravens from 2008 to 2010 and also worked as a defensive coordinator in 2011. Importantly, he is a cancer survivor.

When Chuck Pagano was the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, he shocked the football world by announcing his leukemia diagnosis in September 2012. That was also Pagano’s first year with the franchise. In no time, the franchise rushed to work day and night to fund Pagano’s cancer battle.

In 2012, when USA Today reporters talked to Chuck Pagano, he was devastated and had no clue what do to. Firstly, he had bruises, but he ignored them and eventually, they were cancerous cells. Talking about his struggles that year, the former Ravens secondary coach said, “I had no idea where they came from. I didn’t bump into anything. But like every other hard-headed guy, every coach, I thought, ‘It’s just a bruise, keep going.’ So I didn’t do anything about it.” But surprisingly, it couldn’t ruin Pagano’s confidence and will to get onto the gridiron again. On November 5, 2012, Pagano was declared cancer-free.

But you know, he then joined the franchise and worked for them till the end of his tenure. In the meantime, he has also worked with Chicago Bears. Now, after four years, he will be working with the Baltimore Ravens.

John Harbaugh hired back Pagano after four years

After serving as a defensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears from 2019 to 2020, Pagano had declared his retirement. While retiring, Pagano said, “As much as I love coaching, it takes a lot of time away from your family and loved ones. I’m excited to start this new chapter of my life and can’t wait to be able to spend more time with my family.” But after the Ravens’ heartbreaking season, the former secondary coach is back!

Talking about his coaching career with John Harbaugh, he was hired on February 12, 2008. Within three years, they promoted him to the defensive coordinator position. And guess what? Within his first year as a defensive coordinator for the Ravens, the team was third in both points and yards, in 2011. Great, right? The new senior secondary coach of the Ravens has much more potential than fans would expect.

That’s why it would be very exciting to see how the 2025 season goes for John Harbaugh’s team. Let’s see what happens after the season kicks off—will they rise to the challenge or face unexpected hurdles?