Jim Harbaugh looks to be well on his way to potentially winning the national championship at Michigan.
After all, the Wolverines have arguably the best team in the country and the entire program and university has rallied behind Harbaugh for obvious reasons.
According to reports however, Harbaugh’s days in Ann Arbor may be limited.
Dianna Russini of The Athletic is reporting that two of the teams expected to be most aggressive in pursuing Harbaugh are the Carolina Panthers and the Chicago Bears.
The Chicago Bears are most likely going to give Jim Harbaugh a phone call this off-season, per @DMRussini.
Don’t be shocked if the Chargers & Raiders do the same thing, too.
Harbaugh previously coached in the NFL before he went home to his alma, Michigan. He led the 49ers to… pic.twitter.com/41mzfzL7Qe
— College Football Report (@CFBRep) November 30, 2023
Harbaugh last coached in the NFL in 2014 with the San Francisco 49ers before making the move to Michigan.
With the Wolverines securing a victory over Ohio State for the third consecutive year, the team is now poised to compete for their first national championship since 1997.
Russini appeared on “The Herd With Colin Cowherd” and mentioned how Panthers owner David Tepper and Harbaugh engaged in discussions last year … While it didn’t materialize in a job offer, Tepper is said to like Harbaugh.
“Tepper and Harbaugh had conversations last year. It obviously didn’t pan out, but this was something that they discussed. So, that’s a name I’m hearing again,” Russini said.
Here’s the clip of Diana Russini linking Harbaugh to the #Bears
Going to be a roller coaster the rest of this season as Kevin Warren tries to decide the direction he wants to take this team in. pic.twitter.com/TC3E4mp1DH
— Nolan (@nolpup) November 30, 2023
“The Chicago Bears are another organization I have heard has had some conversations about that, depending on what decision they make with this coaching staff that is in place and, of course, what they do with that quarterback situation,” she added.
(Of course, the Raiders and Chargers can’t be overlooked either.)
Harbaugh addressed NFL rumors last year after meeting with the Minnesota Vikings, describing it as a “one-time thing.”
At that time, he asserted that it would be the last time he actively sought an NFL head coaching position … But we know how that tends to go.
"Two weeks ago, I would have said nope… Now, I'm not as sure. I believe the week of the Maryland game was a real point of demarcation."
— @joelklatt on rumors of Jim Harbaugh returning to the NFL pic.twitter.com/SEy6DAsHQT
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) November 29, 2023
Carolina recently parted ways with head coach Frank Reich after a disappointing 1-10 start to the season.
Special teams coordinator Chris Tabor is currently serving as the interim head coach for the rest of the season.
Meanwhile, the Bears will potentially have two top-five picks in the upcoming NFL Draft. They are expected to evaluate their coaching situation immediately following the season (if not sooner).
Report: The Michigan Jim Harbaugh investigation about the sign-stealing won’t impact how #NFL teams view him, should he decide to return to the league, via @JayGlazer pic.twitter.com/CsYAnAN4Quhttps://t.co/blS0FSzD8v
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) November 23, 2023
What do you think will end up happening with Harbaugh?
Will he stay at Michigan? … Or will the allure of returning to the NFL be too much for him to resist?
Which expected-to-be-open NFL head coaching job is most attractive???