NFL Rumors: Jim Harbaugh Could Leave Michigan; Raiders Linked as Landing Spot

Fresh off winning his first Big Ten title, finally knocking off Ohio State and reaching the College Football Playoff, could Michigan Wolverines Jim Harbaugh be heading back to the NFL?

According to Bruce Feldman of The Athletic, that's a possibility:

"The Athletic is hearing rumblings, both from the NFL side and at Michigan, that Harbaugh might be tempted to leave the Wolverines to return to the NFL. 'I think it's real,' said one source this week when asked about the possibility of Harbaugh being interested in heading back to the NFL."

Feldman listed the Las Vegas Raiders and Chicago Bears as potential matches.

A return to the NFL wouldn't be shocking, even after Michigan's excellent 2021 season. Harbaugh, 58, has deep ties to the league. He was a one-time Pro Bowler who played quarterback from 1987 to 2000 for the Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Ravens and San Diego Chargers. 

He also was a quarterbacks coach for the Oakland Raiders (2002-03) and the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers (2011-14), leading the Niners to the Super Bowl in the 2012 season, where they lost to his brother John Harbaugh's Baltimore Ravens. 

Feldman noted that along with Harbaugh's previous ties to the Raiders and the team having an experienced quarterback in place in Derek Carr, the Michigan head coach is also "friends with Raiders owner Mark Davis."

And the Raiders might be in the market for a head coach after parting ways with Jon Gruden midseason following the release of past misogynistic and anti-gay emails from the former coach. 

Granted, interim head coach Rich Bisaccia has gone 6-5 since replacing Gruden and has the Raiders on a three-game winning streak. The 9-7 Raiders will qualify for the playoffs with a win this weekend over the Los Angeles Chargers. But the Raiders have shown an inclination toward splashy moves in the past, and Harbaugh would certainly fit that bill.

The Bears, meanwhile, are a mess under head coach Matt Nagy, who appears to be firmly on the hot seat. After going 28-20 in his first three seasons, Nagy has led the team to a disappointing 6-10 record this season. And the Bears have steadily declined since going 12-4 in his first year. 

So if Harbaugh's on the market—and it's obviously possible he'll remain with the Wolverines and continue to build on 2021's success—it wouldn't be surprising if Chicago came knocking.