Ideal NFL Fits for Jim Harbaugh If Michigan Head Coach Leaves College Football
Two big questions surround Michigan as the Wolverines prepare to face the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Championship Game: Where will Michigan land in the final College Football Playoff rankings, and will head coach Jim Harbaugh remain with the program once the season ends?
Harbaugh-to-the-NFL rumors have become an annual tradition at this point. Although the coach said last offseason that he had closed the door on a pro return, they're already popping up again.
A drama-filled 2023 season—one that saw Harbaugh suspended (self-imposed) for the start of the season for recruiting infractions and suspended again (by the Big Ten) over illegal sign-stealing allegations—have done nothing to quiet the chatter.
According to Mike Jones of The Athletic, there's "a belief in NFL circles" that the 59-year-old Harbaugh would at least consider a move back to the pros. If that's accurate, then the next question is this: Which franchises could offer a situation enticing enough to coax Harbaugh away from his alma mater?
Let's take a look at the teams most likely to have head-coaching vacancies in 2024, and their situations, to rank Harbaugh's top six potential options.
6. Carolina Panthers
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The Carolina Panthers fired head coach Frank Reich after only 11 games this season. So with all due respect to interim coach Chris Tabor, they're likely to have an opening this offseason.
For Carolina, Harbaugh could be the perfect hire. Franchise owner David Tepper has gone to the college ranks before (Matt Rhule), and he isn't afraid to swing for the proverbial fences. Carolina wants to make it work with rookie quarterback Bryce Young, and Harbaugh has a strong track record of working with quarterbacks.
With the San Francisco 49ers, Harbaugh coached two very different quarterbacks in Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick. He posted a 49-22-1 record between the regular season and playoffs, reached three NFC title games and made one Super Bowl appearance.
For Harbaugh, the question is whether he'd be willing to work for an owner who appears intent on meddling in the football operations and has now fired a coach in-season in consecutive years.
In a vacuum, the Panthers probably aren't an ideal situation for Harbaugh, but a lot could hinge on how he views Young as a prospect and if Tepper is willing to back off and allow Harbaugh to take the reins and run the show.
However, if Harbaugh believes he can win with Young—with no 2024 first-round pick, Carolina has limited replacement options—and Tepper can learn to stop meddling, there are things to like about the job.
For one, Tepper is willing to spend big to get what he wants. He traded a boatload of player/draft capital to trade up for Young, and he gave Rhule a seven-year, $62 million contract to lure him away from Baylor.
Tepper has also stated that he'd prefer to have his next coach around "for 20, 30 years"
Job security and a large financial windfall could be enough to entice Harbaugh.
5. Las Vegas Raiders
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The Las Vegas Raiders may or may not have an opening, depending on how they fare under interim coach Antonio Pierce down the stretch. They're currently 2-2 with him at the helm.
Las Vegas should be more enticing to Harbaugh than Carolina for a few reasons. For one, its roster is less talent-starved than Carolina's. The Raiders also have a first-round pick next year, which could give Harbaugh a shot at a new quarterback, and they already have a fairly intriguing one in rookie Aidan O'Connell.
Plus, while franchise owner Mark Davis is involved in front-office decisions, he appears to be a little more hands-off than Tepper when it comes to personnel moves.
"The Raiders... would seemingly also be able to offer Harbaugh the opportunity to provide input on personnel decisions," Mike Jones of The Athletic wrote.
Like Tepper, Davis is willing to pay. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Davis paid approximately $85 million to move on from recently fired head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler.
The big question here is whether Harbaugh's style of coaching would fit with Las Vegas following the failed tenures of McDaniels and Jon Gruden. The Raiders locker room has responded well to more player-friendly coaches such as Pierce and former interim coach Rich Bisaccia.
"Gruden would kill us, and we would fall apart," one unnamed player told Michael Silver of Bally Sports following the Bisaccia-led 2022 playoff run (h/t Michael Shapiro of Sports Illustrated). "The reason this team played so well down the stretch is that Rich listened to the players and took it easy over the back half of the season."
In college, Harbaugh is used to having full control of his players. That approach doesn't always translate well to the NFL.
"One source with inside knowledge of the team says that Harbaugh's act has worn thin in the locker room, particularly among some key 'face of the 49ers' type players," Ann Killion of SFGate wrote in the offseason before Harbaugh's final 49ers campaign.
Granted, players are more apt to buy in when a team is winning, and Harbaugh is a proven winner in the NFL.
4. New England Patriots
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The old-school approach to coaching is harder to swallow when it isn't yielding victories. That could be part of why Bill Belichick has failed to pull the New England Patriots together amid their 2-9 campaign.
"This team plays like they're exhausted, and the 'Patriot Way,' that's it. It exhausts these kids," former NFL coach Rex Ryan said on ESPN's Get Up! (h/t Hayden Bird of Boston.com).
Will it all result in a mutual parting of the ways between New England and Belichick at season's end? That's one of the biggest unknowns hovering over the end of the regular season. It's worth noting that he signed a lucrative, multiyear extension in the offseason, according to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport.
If Belichick does head elsewhere, New England could become an intriguing option for Harbaugh. The roster isn't very good, but the Patriots are trending toward a top-three draft pick, which could yield a top quarterback prospect like Caleb Williams or Drake Maye.
As NFL franchise owners go, Robert Kraft is one of the most hands-off in the league. He would presumably have no qualms about giving Harbaugh full control of the franchise—something Belichick has long enjoyed.
With $75.8 million in projected 2024 cap space, the Patriots could offer Harbaugh a chance to start over and build the team as he sees fit. That freedom, along with the potential of landing an elite quarterback prospect, could be attractive to just about any potential hire.
The big question here is whether Kraft will truly open up the coaching search. According to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, Patriots inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo is the "clear front-runner" for the New England job if January does mark the end of the Belichick era.
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3. Washington Commanders
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We can't discuss the idea of starting fresh without mentioning the Washington Commanders. Over the summer, former owner Dan Snyder sold the team to a group led by investor Josh Harris. While Ron Rivera remains the head coach, he doesn't appear long for the job.
The Commanders recently fired defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, and Rivera could be next. New owners typically want their own people in place, and Harris' group will likely be no different.
If Washington's new ownership group wants to make fans forget about the dismal tenure of Snyder, making a splash hire like Harbaugh would go a long way.
In Harbaugh's first season with San Francisco, the 49ers went 13-3 and narrowly lost to the New York Giants in the NFC Championship Game. While such immediate results couldn't be guaranteed in Washington, Harbaugh's track record would precede him.
We don't yet know how the Commanders' new ownership group will compare to owners like Robert Kraft and Mark Davis, but there's a lot to like about the team and its situation. Washington isn't as talent-deficient as New England—players like Terry McLaurin, Daron Payne, Jonathan Allen and Brian Robinson Jr. provide a decent foundation—and second-year quarterback Sam Howell has flashed a lot of upside.
While Howell is tied for the league lead with 13 interceptions, he also leads the NFL with 3,339 passing yards.
Washington is also currently in line for a top-five draft pick and has the league's most projected 2024 cap space ($85.4 million).
As would be the case in New England, Harbaugh would have an opportunity to reboot a franchise and build from the ground up. In Washington, though, he would be welcomed by a fanbase starved for success and not coaching in the shadow of a six-time Super Bowl champion.
2. Los Angeles Chargers
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Brandon Staley remains the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, but that may soon change. According to B/R NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Staley will be out "barring a miracle."
There are a few reasons why the Chargers could be high on Harbaugh's wish list. For one, he knows the franchise well, having played his final NFL games for the then-San Diego Chargers in 1999 and 2000.
Secondly, L.A. has an established quarterback in Justin Herbert. While Herbert has yet to deliver a playoff win, he's been to the postseason, made the Pro Bowl and passed for 16,915 yards and 114 touchdowns in less than four full seasons.
Harbaugh wouldn't be coaching a quarterback with potential like Sam Howell or Aidan O'Connell or chasing an unproven prospect. He'd be working with a signal-caller who might be a few coaching tips away from being one of the league's elite.
That's huge, and Herbert has a strong supporting cast, even if the team's 4-7 record suggests otherwise.
However, there are a couple of reasons why the Chargers might not be Harbaugh's No. 1 choice. For one, they're projected to be $45.6 million over the salary cap next season, which means he'd have little ability to make sweeping changes.
Secondly, Harbaugh may have a difficult time selling himself to franchise owners Dean and John Spanos because of how things ended in San Francisco and his recent controversies at Michigan. According to Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune, Harbaugh's perceived baggage could be a problem.
"By NFL standards, they avoid coaches and players who may require extra maintenance, who would bring any whiff of a media circus to their cozy cocoon," Krasovic wrote.
For Harbaugh, though, it would be tough to discount a team with an above-average roster and a top-10 quarterback already in place.
1. Chicago Bears
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On The Herd with Colin Cowherd (h/t Bleacher Report's Adam Wells), Dianna Russini of The Athletic said the Chicago Bears have "had some conversations" about Harbaugh if they fire current head coach Matt Eberflus. There are several reasons why hiring Harbaugh to replace Eberflus would make sense.
For starters, the cupboard isn't as bare in Chicago as it is in places like Carolina and New England. The Bears have won only four games this season, but they have foundational pieces like wide receiver DJ Moore, tight end Cole Kmet, offensive linemen Nate Davis and Darnell Wright, edge-rusher Montez Sweat, linebacker T.J. Edwards and safety Jaquan Brisker.
With $63.5 million in projected 2024 cap space, Chicago can continue improving its roster in free agency.
Secondly, Harbaugh began his NFL career with Chicago as a first-round draft pick in 1987. He was with the franchise for seven seasons, went 35-30 as the starter and made one playoff appearance.
Lastly, Harbaugh could have options when it comes to the game's most important position. While he once failed to become Chicago's long-sought franchise quarterback, his experience coaching the position could help make up for it.
Justin Fields has taken time to develop and has a lingering fumbling issue (35 in 35 games), but he's a proven dual-threat who has recently begun showing the ability to win from the pocket.
Chicago is also poised to have two high first-round picks thanks to Carolina's trade to secure Bryce Young. If the season ended today, the Bears would own the first and fourth selections.
If Harbaugh isn't sold on Fields, Chicago could take Caleb Williams or Drake Maye at the top of the draft. If Fields looks like the answer by Week 18, the Bears could surround him with top prospects like, say, Ohio State wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. and Penn State offensive tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu—the first- and fifth-ranked prospects on the B/R NFL Scouting Department's latest draft board.
The Bears are set to control the top of the draft and be major players in free agency, which means they have real potential for a quick 2024 turnaround. If the Bears decide to move on from Eberflus—who is 7-22 with the franchise—Harbaugh could be next in line.
*Cap information via Spotrac.
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