Jim Harbaugh remains at the heart of speculation and reporting with respect to the upcoming NFL hiring cycle. His future remains in doubt, but a leader has emerged in terms of an NFL destination if he elects to return to the pros. 
The Chargers are the frontrunners to land the former 49ers head coach, Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda reports. That comes as little surprise given the degree to which the two parties have been linked recently. Los Angeles made an informal inquiry about Harbaugh, whose candidacy for a second NFL HC gig has not been damaged by the pair of three-game suspensions he has served this year. To no surprise, though, Pauline notes Harbaugh is currently focused squarely on Michigan’s upcoming CFP semifinal.
Once the Wolverines’ season has come to a close, a new deal could await Harbaugh. The 60-year-old has received a 10-year, $125MM offer from Michigan, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport writes. The pact would include a clause precluding Harbaugh from taking an NFL job in 2024, but no such restrictions would apply beyond next year. A new Michigan contract has been in the works for some time now, but Harbaugh has yet to make a final decision. Rapoport adds another, shorter offer with an annual average value of roughly $11MM is also on the table.
Both versions of the potential extension could check in below Harbaugh’s asking price on an NFL deal, which Pauline pegs at $15MM per year or more. His track record both at Michigan and in San Francisco before that would give the former Super Bowl runner up plenty of leverage in negotiations on a return to the pro level, and the degree to which he would be involved in roster decisions will no doubt be a key talking point. Budgetary concerns have been raised regarding the Chargers’ search for a Brandon Staley replacement, but multiple reports have indicated they are prepared to spend big in search of a long-term answer on the sidelines.
Given the presence of quarterback Justin Herbert, many have pointed to Los Angeles as an attractive destination for veteran coaching candidates. A mutual interest is believed to exist, however, between the Chargers and Lions OC Ben Johnson, one of the league’s top up-and-coming offensive minds. Johnson will be a highly sought-after staffer, and he profiles as a much different option than Harbaugh. Los Angeles could very well lean toward the latter if the team’s desire for a proven option holds true, though.
Harbaugh has seemed to be on the verge of an NFL return over the past two offseasons, interviewing with the Vikings and Broncos during that time. While the Chargers are certainly a team to watch in this year’s cycle, one which appears to be out of the running is the Panthers. Carolina owner David Tepper is not believed to be interested in Harbaugh, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini (subscription required). The Panthers are expected to make a strong run at Johnson, something which would be particularly interesting if highly-regarded defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero were to be retained through a potential GM change.
Even if the Panthers are out of the running for Harbaugh, he will remain a signficant domino this season, as he has in years past. His willingness to commit to a new Michigan pact (or a lack thereof) will be particularly impactful for the Chargers as they undertake an organizational reset.
Harbaugh will not waste his time toiling for the idiotic and irrelevant Spanos cult. #fakenews
Agreed. He’s just using them, which isn’t surprising.
I hope he just resigns with Michigan so everybody will stop talking about him coming to Chicago. He’s the last thing the Bears need. If the Bears get the #1 Pick again hopefully they can do what they didn’t do last year and trade it down twice for a boatload of picks. The Bears still have a lot of holes to fill and I think going forward with Fields is the way to go. Basically they just need to get deeper, Especially in the O Line. Jenkins is awesome when he plays but if they go with him you need a solid backup and Whitehair isn’t it. They have to keep Davis at least for next year but they basically need a Safety, Edge, and 3 guys for the middle of the O line. And right now they don’t have enough picks. With a lot of money to spend and a lot of draft picks they should be able to attract a guy like OConnor or some other big time HC. They have a lot of good pieces but not enough and Eberflus is a bad HC. I’ve seen progress with Fields like knowing when to slide, When to throw it away, Looking downfield and looking to pass before taking off. A good O Coach can work with that.
Harbaugh, the biggest jerk in all of college football is perfect for Chargers. Two losers working together.
Jon Gruden would be perfect for the job
Either that or bring Don Coryell back to life, although I don’t think that is possible
This happens every time…Go get excited! Harbaugh might return to the NFL, but I seriously doubt it. Anybody that can get to the playoffs and quits, doesn’t really want to play in the NFL. Name another…?
Harbaugh is smart enough and already rich enough to stay where he is. there is no way he would agree to coach the Chargers. If the Chargers offered me the job I would say, no thanks !
Hammer is about to fall on Michigan after playoff game. Harbaugh is done at U of M and he knows it. Off to NFL and leave the upcoming suspensions behind
Violations, cheating, U of M is in for a couple of down next couple of years