NFL Rumors: Bill Belichick, Jim Harbaugh, Eric Bieniemy Linked to Chargers HC Opening

The Los Angeles Chargers reportedly will "run their head coach and general manager searches simultaneously," according to Josina Anderson of CBS Sports.

Per that report, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn are currently the leading candidates for the head-coaching vacancy given their "extensive postseason and/or Super Bowl experience."

The Chargers arguably will be the most appealing coaching vacancy for candidates this offseason for one main reason—the team already has a superstar-in-the-making at quarterback in the 25-year-old Justin Herbert.

The Chargers have a solid roster beyond that, one that underachieved this year under Brandon Staley before he was fired in mid-December. The team was shockingly just 5-9 at the time of his axing and fresh off a 63-21 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, all after 10-7 in 2022 and reaching the postseason.

As to that initial list of potential candidates, however, it's fair to question how many will be actual options.

Belichick, 71, may be headed for a divorce with a Patriots' organization that finds itself likely entering a rebuilding period. He would easily be the splashiest hire, given his NFL-record six titles as a head coach to go along with two titles as the New York Giants defensive coordinator in the 1980s.

If the Patriots can draft one of the top quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL draft, however, perhaps Belichick will be enticed to stick around.

Harbaugh, 60, would be a pretty splashy hire himself. The current Michigan head coach has the Wolverines headed to the National Championship Game after a third straight Big Ten title and third straight College Football Playoff appearance.

Before his time at Michigan, he spent four seasons as the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers (2011-14), compiling a 44-19-1 record, three playoff appearances and a Super Bowl berth in the 2012 season. He also served as Stanford's head coach between the 2007-10 seasons and was an NFL quarterback for 14 seasons (1987-00).

It's unclear if Harbaugh will return to the NFL after flirting with the league in recent offseasons. After a year of sanctions and investigations by the NCAA, however, he could be primed for a change in scenery.

Bieniemy, 54, has never served as a head coach at any level but has had stints as an offensive coordinator for the Colorado Buffaloes (2011-12), Kansas City Chiefs (2018-22)—where he won two Super Bowl titles with Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes—and the Commanders this past season.

In total, he has 16 seasons of coaching experience at the NFL level and has regularly been floated as a candidate for head-coaching vacancies in recent years, though never has been hired for those positions. He also spent nine seasons in the NFL as a running back (1991-99).

Both Harbaugh and Bieniemy played for the Chargers during their playing days.

Finally, the 53-year-old Quinn has spent the past three seasons as Dallas' defensive coordinator. He was previously the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons between the 2015-20 seasons, leading the team to a 43-42 record, two playoff berths and a Super Bowl trip in the 2016 season when his team famously blew a 28-3 lead to Belichick's Patriots.

He also served as the defensive coordinator for the Florida Gators (2011-12) and Seattle Seahawks (2012-13), among other coaching positions at the NFL and college levels during his coaching career.