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Chargers Request HC Interview With Rams DC Raheem Morris

January 9th, 2024 at 9:48am CST by Adam La Rose

Raheem Morris remains one of the top early candidates for a head coaching position in the 2024 hiring cycle. The Rams defensive coordinator has received an interview request from the Chargers, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Morris becomes the seventh coach to receive an interview request from Los Angeles, a team which has also been linked to high-profile options such as Bill Belichick and Jim Harbaugh. The Chargers’ vacancy is seen as one of the more attractive ones given the presence of quarterback Justin Herbert, something which could lend itself to a coach with an offensive background being targeted. So far, however, many of the candidates the team has shown an interest in are known for their work on the other side of the ball.

That applies to Morris, who has spent most of his NFL coaching career working with the defense in one capacity or another. The 47-year-old has been a head coach on two occasions: a three-year run with the Buccaneers from 2009-11, and an interim stint with the Falcons in 2020 after Dan Quinn‘s firing. Overall, his HC record sits at just 21-38, but his subsequent work as a positional coach and coordinator has rebuilt his value.

Morris spent three seasons in Washington as the team’s secondary coach before taking an assistant head coach posting in Atlanta. After closing out his final Falcons season as interim HC, he took the Rams’ defensive coordinator position. Los Angeles has put up middling numbers in term of yards and points allowed across the past three campaigns, a period which includes the franchise’s Super Bowl victory.

The Rams have managed to make an unexpected run to the postseason this year despite the loss of several veterans in the offseason (including cornerback Jalen Ramsey, linebacker Bobby Wagner and edge rusher Leonard Floyd). That success has led to interest in Morris on the part of the Panthers and Commanders, so the Chargers will have competition if they elect to aggressively pursue him. Morris will certainly be a key candidate to watch as the coaching landscape takes shape.

Chargers, Commanders Request HC Interview With Cowboys DC Dan Quinn

January 8th, 2024 at 9:48pm CST by Ben Levine

For a third-straight offseason, Dan Quinn is emerging as a popular name on the head coaching carousel. According to Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz, the Commanders and Chargers have requested permission to interview the Cowboys defensive coordinator. We learned earlier today that the Panthers had also requested an interview with Quinn.

After getting fired as the Falcons head coach during the 2020 campaign, it didn’t take long for Quinn to re-emerge as a head coaching candidate. During the 2022 offseason, he interviewed for the Bears, Broncos, Dolphins, Vikings, and Giants jobs before ultimately deciding to stay in Dallas. He was sought after once again in 2023, garnering interest from the Cardinals, Broncos, and Colts. For a second-straight year, Quinn decided to stick with the Cowboys.

This time around, Quinn might be more open to a HC opportunity. We heard recently that Quinn is believed to be “more receptive to the right offer.” The coach has certainly rehabilitated his image during his three seasons as the Cowboys defensive coordinator. The Cowboys defense has finished two of those three seasons in first place for points allowed, and the defense has never finished lower than 11th in yards allowed.

Of course, Quinn’s resume goes beyond his stint in Dallas. Following a short stint as the Seahawks defensive coordinator, Quinn was named the Falcons head coach in 2015. He led his team to the Super Bowl during his second season at the helm, and the Falcons won another playoff game in 2017 after finishing with a 10-6 record. However, the team stumbled to 7-9 records in both 2018 and 2019, and Quinn was fired following an 0-5 start to the 2020 campaign.

Washington would certainly be an interesting fit for Quinn; the Commanders have become plenty familiar with their division foe over the past three seasons. As Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports opines, that makes a Quinn/Commanders pairing “hard to imagine,” although it’d be “quite a coup” if Josh Harris and co. can pull it off.

A number of candidates have already emerged for the Commanders HC job, with the organization requesting interviews with Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, and Ravens defensive line coach Anthony Weaver. The Commanders have also been linked to Patriots coach Bill Belichick and Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, while incumbent offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is expected to be considered for the job.

The Chargers have also been connected to Belichick and Harbaugh. Their list of definitive candidates includes Glenn, Johnson, Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, and 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks.

Chargers Request HC Interview With DC Patrick Graham

January 8th, 2024 at 8:15pm CST by Ben Levine

We heard earlier today that the Chargers have requested interviews with four head coaching candidates, and we’ve got another name to add to the list. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Chargers have requested permission to interview Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham for their HC gig.

[RELATED: Chargers Request HC Interview]

Graham got his NFL coaching career started with the Patriots, where he spent seven years. He later had coaching stints with the Giants and Packers before getting recruited by former Patriots DC Brian Flores to be the Dolphins defensive coordinator. He spent one seasons in Miami before former Patriots ST coordinator Joe Judge added him to the Giants staff as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator.

He was expected to stick in New York when Brian Daboll took over, but he ended up heading to Las Vegas to coach the defense under (you guessed it) former Patriots OC Josh McDaniels. Graham spent the past two seasons in that role, with the Raiders defense taking a step forward in 2023. The unit finished the season ninth in points allowed, and the unit finished top-12 in most passing defense categories.

Graham joins a list of Chargers HC candidates that already includes 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, Lions coordinators Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson, and Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken.

Chargers Request HC Interview With Steve Wilks, Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn, Todd Monken

January 8th, 2024 at 5:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL pushed back the HC carousel’s actual interviews this season, the in-person meetings at least. The league will delay onsite HC interviews until after the divisional round, but teams can still begin requesting meetings today. HC-needy clubs have gotten to work.

This now includes the Chargers, who sent an interview request to 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo. The Bolts need to hire both a head coach and a GM, so plenty of moving parts — the biggest being Jim Harbaugh — are in place here. But Wilks is back on the HC radar after keeping the 49ers’ defense in high gear.

The Bolts are also interested in speaking with both the Lions’ top coordinators. Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson received requests to meet about the Los Angeles job, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. Johnson, who has now collected requests from the Commanders and Panthers, has been on the Bolts’ radar for a bit. Mutual interest is believed to exist. Ravens OC Todd Monken is also on the Chargers’ radar, with Rapoport adding the recent college play-caller received a request about this job as well.

Last year, Wilks went toe-to-toe with Frank Reich for the Panthers’ HC position. After two interviews, David Tepper went with Reich. Tepper had been connected to wanting an offensive-minded coach, sending Wilks out the door after he went 6-6 as Carolina’s interim HC. Reich lasted 11 games, and the Panthers are back on the HC carousel. Tepper is not interested in bringing Wilks back this year, but the Chargers want to see if he makes sense for them. The 49ers, who have seen their past two DCs (Robert Saleh, DeMeco Ryans) become head coaches, rank third in scoring defense and fourth in defensive DVOA.

This represents quite the comeback for Monken, who had spent three years as Georgia’s OC after the 2019 Browns imploded. A one-and-done OC on the ill-fated Freddie Kitchens-centered staff, Monken — a former Buccaneers OC — rebuilt his value in Georgia, helping the Bulldogs to back-to-back national titles. He may have to beat out Harbaugh, whose Wolverines lost to the 2021 Bulldogs in the CFP semifinals, for the gig. Monken, however, has considerable momentum thanks to Lamar Jackson being on the cusp of his second MVP award. The Ravens rank in the top six in scoring and total offense, rebounding after 17th- and 19th-place finishes — albeit in seasons Jackson did not finish — in 2021 and ’22.

Johnson might be this year’s hottest HC candidate. Similar to Arthur Smith‘s stock in 2021, Johnson could end up receiving requests from the full lot of HC-seeking teams. While Smith is not the best name to bring up right now, Johnson joins the ex-Titans OC in being a two-year play-caller as an assistant. The Lions revived their offense after Dan Campbell handed Johnson the reins in 2022. Jared Goff ranked fifth in QBR last season. Although Goff took a step back this year, sitting 14th, the Lions won 12 games for just the second time in franchise history.

Johnson is 2-for-2 in top-five offensive finishes as a coordinator. It would surprise if he did not land a job during this cycle, and multiple offers could come his way. The Panthers loom for the ascending OC, a North Carolina native, but they are not exactly in a good place organizationally — and Johnson turned them down in 2023. The Chargers will have candidates eager to coach Justin Herbert; Harbaugh may well be among them.

Glenn interviewed with the Cardinals and Colts last year, but his unit’s performance does not match the Lions’ offense. The Lions have finished 31st, 28th and 23rd in scoring defense during Glenn’s three-year tenure, and he was rumored to be on the chopping block during the 2022 season. But Detroit crafted a turnaround that has carried over to this year. Glenn has also seen two of his DB pieces (C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Emmanuel Moseley) suffer major injuries. That has not stopped both the Chargers and Commanders from reaching out about their HC vacancies.

Chargers C Corey Linsley Expected To Retire

January 8th, 2024 at 12:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Corey Linsley spent most of this season on the reserve/NFI list, stripping the Chargers’ offensive line of an All-Pro talent. Exiting his abbreviated age-32 season, Linsley is not likely to come back.

A heart-related issue prompted the Chargers to move Linsley off the roster in September, and the 10-year veteran center said Monday he is “99%” likely to retire, per The Athletic’s Daniel Popper. Linsley has spent the past three seasons with the Chargers, coming to Los Angeles after a long run with the Packers.

A first-team All-Pro in 2020 and a second-teamer in 2021, Linsley has done well for himself in terms of accolades and career earnings. But he is now expected to prioritize his health and walk away. Although the Chargers played without Linsley for much of the season, this will create a major need for the now-retooling team up front.

During an offseason in which the Chargers overhauled their offensive line, Linsley signed a five-year, $62.5MM deal. At the time of signing, that represented an AAV record for centers. The Chargers signed Linsley and Matt Feiler to go with first-round pick Rashawn Slater that year. Building up their front around Justin Herbert‘s rookie contract, the Bolts assembled an intriguing O-line. The group has been unable to stay healthy, however. Slater missed much of the 2022 season, while Linsley’s non-emergent heart condition kept him off the field for all but three games in 2023.

Linsley did much better as a free agent than he did on his first extension. The 2014 fifth-round pick signed a three-year, $25.5MM extension with the Packers in 2017. Green Bay used the Ohio State alum as an immediate starter, and he operated as the team’s snapper during three seasons that ended in the NFC championship game (2014, 2019, 2020). Pro Football Focus rated Linsley as a top-10 center from 2018-20. Centers are almost never franchise-tagged, with all O-line positions being grouped together on the tag, so Linsley hit the market rather than sign a second Packers extension in 2021.

PFF rated Linsley as the NFL’s No. 2 overall center in ’21 and kept him as a top-10 snapper last season, a Bolts playoff year. The Chargers used Will Clapp as their primary center following Linsley’s move off the roster this season, deploying the ex-Saints blocker as a first-stringer in 11 games. Clapp, however, ended the season on IR. Former fifth-round pick Brenden Jaimes finished the season as the Bolts’ snapper. PFF rated Clapp 28th among centers. Clapp is due for free agency in March, while Jaimes’ rookie contract runs through 2024.

Unless Linsley changes his mind, he will conclude his career with 132 starts. Linsley’s 99 starts as a Packer are the fifth-most by a center in franchise history. The Ohio native stands to finish his career with more than $66MM in earnings.

Mutual Interest Between Raiders, Jim Harbaugh; Latest On Antonio Pierce’s Status

January 8th, 2024 at 11:32am CST by Sam Robinson

This is the third consecutive NFL hiring period to feature extensive Jim Harbaugh return rumblings, but this one is providing louder noise on the subject. Harbaugh hiring NFL agent Don Yee has set off alarm bells ahead of Michigan’s national championship game booking against Washington.

The Chargers and Raiders have been in on Harbaugh for a bit now. While Harbaugh interest in coaching Justin Herbert has surfaced, Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz notes a return to the Raiders is also believed to hold appeal for the nine-year Michigan HC. Both AFC West teams appear likely to request interviews with Harbaugh, who can meet with teams before coaches on NFL staffs, who must wait until after the divisional round to go through interviews due to an NFL timetable adjustment to its coaching calendar.

[RELATED: Raiders Interested In Bill Belichick?]

Like the Bolts, Harbaugh has a history with the Raiders. Finishing his on-field playing career with the Chargers in 2000, Harbaugh moved directly into coaching in 2002. The Raiders gave Harbaugh his first gig, hiring him as quarterbacks coach on Bill Callahan‘s staff. Harbaugh stayed two years, moving to the college ranks in 2004. The Raiders were connected to Harbaugh during the hiring period that produced the Josh McDaniels choice as well.

Mark Davis has shown support for Pierce, but the second-generation owner has been tied to taking another big swing to fill this position. Considering Pierce’s limited experience, that checks out. Indeed, Schultz adds Pierce has received internal support but offers that Harbaugh is “at or near the top” of the team’s list. Following the Raiders’ Week 18 win over the Broncos, Davis responded in the affirmative when asked (via ESPN.com’s Paul Gutierrez) if Pierce met his expectations of leading and delegating effectively, indicating “there is no question about it,” during his interim stretch.

Pierce went 5-4 as Raiders HC, being far more popular among Raider players compared to McDaniels. But his limited experience — and no NFL team opting to keep an interim HC since 2017 (Doug Marrone, Jaguars) — provide an uphill battle.

It will also be interesting to see how much power the Raiders and Chargers would be willing to give Harbaugh, who has multiple Michigan extension offers on the table. With Harbaugh’s interviews with the Vikings (2022) and Broncos (2023) not leading to jobs, Michigan will certainly be prepared to put a full-court press on the popular but polarizing leader should the Raiders and Chargers move aggressively. That would naturally lead to Harbaugh wanting significant say in terms of personnel and front office staffing.

Once the Wolverines’ season wraps tonight, this situation will accelerate. Will Harbaugh, who could be facing additional sanctions in connection with Michigan’s sign-stealing scandal, make the move back to the NFL this year?

Updated 2024 NFL Draft Order

January 7th, 2024 at 10:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

Week 18 is in the books, meaning the top 18 draft slots are locked in going into the offseason. The Commanders, Patriots, Cardinals and Chargers all lost. Only the Bolts changed positions, by virtue of the Giants’ win over the Eagles. The Giants, however, only dropped one spot through their home win.

The Falcons and Saints’ efforts to upend the Buccaneers in the NFC South did not pan out, with Tampa Bay beating two-win Carolina in its regular-season finale. This will keep Atlanta and New Orleans in much better draft positions. Despite finishing 8-9, Tampa Bay now cannot move past No. 19 without a trade.

While the Bears’ seminal decision — Justin Fields or Caleb Williams, seemingly, with all the trade and contract factors that go along with this forthcoming choice — will headline the leadup to this draft, the Commanders have secured the No. 2 selection and will have their own call to make. New owner Josh Harris showed he will help drive his front office to moves that will load up draft capital, as the Montez Sweat and Chase Young trades showed, and he is all but certain to hire a new regime in the coming weeks.

The draft’s second-best quarterback will be available to Washington, which saw its Sam Howell wire-to-wire season fail to solidify him as the team’s surefire long-term QB. Will Washington become closely connected to Howell’s North Carolina successor (Drake Maye)? The Commanders’ call will help shape how the Patriots proceed, unless New England — which is also all but certain to move on from Bill Belichick and start anew — completes a trade-up effort.

As the postseason determines the bottom 14 draft slots, here is how the top 18 look after the regular season:

  1. Chicago Bears (via Panthers)
  2. Washington Commanders: 4-13
  3. New England Patriots: 4-13
  4. Arizona Cardinals: 4-13
  5. Los Angeles Chargers: 5-12
  6. New York Giants: 6-11
  7. Tennessee Titans: 6-11
  8. Atlanta Falcons: 7-10
  9. Chicago Bears: 7-10
  10. New York Jets: 7-10
  11. Minnesota Vikings: 7-10
  12. Denver Broncos: 8-9
  13. Las Vegas Raiders: 8-9
  14. New Orleans Saints: 9-8
  15. Indianapolis Colts: 9-8
  16. Seattle Seahawks: 9-8
  17. Jacksonville Jaguars: 9-8
  18. Cincinnati Bengals: 9-8
  19. Green Bay Packers: 9-8
  20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 9-8
  21. Arizona Cardinals (via Texans)
  22. Los Angeles Rams: 10-7
  23. Pittsburgh Steelers: 10-7
  24. Miami Dolphins: 11-6
  25. Philadelphia Eagles: 11-6
  26. Kansas City Chiefs: 11-6
  27. Houston Texans (via Browns)
  28. Detroit Lions: 12-5
  29. Buffalo Bills: 11-6
  30. Dallas Cowboys: 12-5
  31. San Francisco 49ers: 12-5
  32. Baltimore Ravens: 13-4

Chargers, Raiders “Pressing Hard” For Jim Harbaugh; Commanders, Bears Also Interested

January 7th, 2024 at 1:37pm CST by Rory Parks

1:37pm: Providing a further update to the Raiders connection in particular, Pauline reports Harbaugh would be interested in having quarterback J.J. McCarthy with him in Vegas in the event he took that job. The latter – whom Harbaugh recently termed the greatest QB in Michigan history – is one of several passers in contention to be selected in the first round of this year’s draft, although he is ranked below the likes of Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels.

Entering Week 18, the Raiders were on track to hold the No. 11 pick in April’s draft. Plenty will change in that department over the course of the day’s action, but Vegas could be well positioned to add McCarthy or another QB outside the top options on the board. With Jimmy Garoppolo‘s Raiders tenure widely expected to come to an end shortly, the team will have a need for at least a depth addition under center this offseason regardless of who is installed as head coach.

11:33am: Recent reports have suggested that the Raiders and Chargers are the likeliest landing spots for Jim Harbaugh should Harbaugh choose to leave the University of Michigan and return to the professional ranks. Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda.com adds some more fuel to that fire.

Per Pauline, Las Vegas and Los Angeles are “pressing hard” to hire Harbaugh, and there are rumors that both clubs have made initial proposals to Harbaugh’s camp. While Pauline is unable to substantiate those rumors, he does say that rumors suggesting Harbaugh’s decision to hire agent Don Yee gives the Raiders an upper hand in these sweepstakes are true (Yee was the longtime agent for Tom Brady, who is likely to soon become a minority owner of the Raiders and who is a trusted voice for majority owner Mark Davis).

We heard at the end of December that Las Vegas interim head coach Antonio Pierce may stand a good chance of having the interim label removed and becoming the club’s full-time head HC. Subsequent reports, however, suggested that Davis may decide to take another “big swing” as he did with his hires of Jon Gruden and Josh McDaniels, and that Davis wants his Sin City outfit to be led by a high-profile coach.

Harbaugh certainly qualifies as a high-profile big swing, as does Bill Belichick, who has also been connected to the Raiders’ post. Harbaugh, whose Wolverines will appear in tomorrow’s CFP National Championship game, may yet elect to remain in Ann Arbor, and he reportedly has multiple extension offers on the table from Michigan (Yee’s hiring, aside from what it might mean for Harbaugh’s NFL hopes, obviously would also assist him in his negotiations with his alma mater). The looming presence of the Wolverines, along with Pauline’s report — which conflicts with earlier reports pegging the Chargers as the frontrunners for Harbaugh’s services — make this race a very difficult one to handicap.

Pauline muddies the waters even further by noting that the Bears and Commanders have also shown signficiant interest in Harbaugh. Just two days ago, Albert Breer of SI.com reported that Harbaugh is an unlikely candidate for Washington, though Pauline points to the team’s five top-100 picks in the 2024 draft and signifciant amount of cap space (roughly $80MM) as factors that sources close to Harbaugh say could draw the former 49ers HC to the nation’s capital. And while Chicago’s recent stretch of quality play has led to the belief that its current head coach, Matt Eberflus, has done enough to keep his job for at least one more season, Pauline says that could change if the Bears believe they have a chance to nab Harbaugh.

Should Harbaugh land an NFL gig in 2024, Pauline names Greg Roman and Willie Taggart as potential key coaching hires. Roman worked under Harbaugh’s brother, John Harbaugh, with the Ravens from 2017-22, including a four-year stretch as offensive coordinator from 2019-22. Taggart is currently on Baltimore’s staff as the team’s running backs coach and has a close relationship with both Harbaughs.

Of course, Roman also worked as Jim Harbaugh’s associate head coach at Stanford from 2009-10 and then as his OC with the Niners from 2011-14.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/6/24

January 6th, 2024 at 8:33pm CST by Ely Allen

The last week of pregame transactions and gameday callups for several teams this season:

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

  • Placed on IR: T Mike McGlinchey
  • Activated from IR: T Alex Palczewski
  • Signed to active roster: CB Art Green
  • Elevated: S Devon Key

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

  • Placed on IR: TE Hunter Henry
  • Signed to active roster: TE La’Michael Pettway
  • Elevated: TE Matt Sokol, OL Andrew Stueber

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Several teams whose season is set to come to an end tomorrow have elected to move injured players to injured reserve in order to create roster spots for practice squad options, particularly those who have had their three gameday elevations exhausted. In the case of the Broncos, McGlinchey will see his debut campaign in the Mile High City come to a premature end. Signed to a five-year, $87.5MM deal, the 28-year-old was part of a revamped O-line which did not produce the desired rebound on offense. Manning his usual right tackle spot, McGlinchey was charged with eight sacks and 49 pressures allowed by PFF, resulting in an overall grade of 67.5.

While the Giants will have an interesting decision to make with respect to Xavier McKinney‘s future, they will have Pinnock on the books for at least one more season. The latter’s rookie contract is set to expire following the 2024 campaign, one in which he will no doubt remain a vital member of New York’s secondary. Pinnock has recorded 85 tackles, two interceptions (including a 102-yard pick-six), six pass deflections and a pair of forced fumbles while logging over 1,000 defensive snaps this season. A return to health and a continuation of his 2023 level of play will be sorely needed next fall.

Chargers Continue Jim Harbaugh Prep; Michigan HC Aiming To Land L.A. Job?

January 4th, 2024 at 9:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

Michigan is set to play for a national championship for the first time in the CFP era, defeating Alabama in overtime Monday night. The Wolverines had encountered a rough patch before Jim Harbaugh‘s arrival, but the former Super Bowl HC has them positioned as one of college football’s premier programs. Michigan again looks to be competing with the NFL for its coach’s services.

Specifically, the Chargers loom as an opportunity Harbaugh may covet. While Harbaugh-to-NFL buzz has surfaced over the past two offseasons, the Bolts continue to be connected to their former quarterback. The Chargers-Harbaugh pairing has gained steam recently, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, who adds the Bolts have done preliminary homework on the former 49ers HC.

The subject of Harbaugh’s salary ask — potentially around $15MM — could complicate matters for an organization not known for spending big on head coaches, but the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora indicates Harbaugh “badly” wants the Bolts job. Harbaugh interviewed with the Vikings in 2022 and Broncos last year but ended up back at Michigan. The Bolts bring the allure of a prized young quarterback, Justin Herbert, changing the equation. Then again, Harbaugh is not the only coaching candidate who is believed to be drawn to this job.

Lions OC Ben Johnson is believed to have interest, while other coaching agents have pitched their clients to Chargers ownership. The past three Chargers HCs reported to GM Tom Telesco, whom the franchise fired along with Brandon Staley last month. Harbaugh reporting to a GM he does not have a good relationship with might be a non-starter, considering the leverage he holds with Michigan. And a team should probably tread lightly with regards to Harbaugh and a GM — given how the deterioration between the Harbaugh-Trent Baalke relationship derailed that 49ers power structure.

Harbaugh’s success in the pros and in with his alma mater aside, The Athletic’s Jeff Howe notes he is not especially popular among NFL front offices and scouting staffs (subscription required). Questions understandably persist about Harbaugh meshing with a front office. Considering the Chargers’ long-held ownership-GM-HC workflow, this would naturally be an issue. Then again, team president John Spanos has said the organization is not committed to that setup with this next hire. Owner Dean Spanos is aiming at a “reimagining” effort when it comes to the franchise’s decision-making hierarchy. As of now John Spanos operates as a key voice above the GM.

With the Chargers already putting out Harbaugh feelers, it would appear ownership is at least ready to explore this partnership. Michigan has offered Harbaugh multiple extensions recently. One of those, a 10-year proposal, would prevent Harbaugh from exploring NFL opportunities in 2024. But that deal would not restrict the oft-tempted HC from doing so beyond this year. That Wolverines offer is believed to be worth $125MM. A shorter-term Michigan proposal worth around $11MM has also been extended. If the Chargers become serious bidders, Harbaugh may have an interesting decision to make.

The Chargers have opted for first-time HCs with their past three hires (Mike McCoy, Anthony Lynn, Staley), keeping costs low. They will need to commit much more to their HC job to lure Harbaugh out of Ann Arbor. But the Vikings and Broncos were close to doing so. If Michigan defeats Washington for the title, the embattled HC — who has been twice suspended this season — would have accomplished everything at that level. The NFL would both provide an escape from NCAA punishment relating to the sign-stealing scandal that engulfed Michigan this season and give Harbaugh a second chance at a Super Bowl title.

Herbert’s presence, along with other veteran pieces, also separates the Chargers from the other current openings and those that could potentially emerge within days. The past two offseasons have ended with Harbaugh recommitting to Michigan. His recent issues notwithstanding, the powerhouse program will certainly be interested in keeping him win or lose in the CFP title game.

With Harbaugh not on an NFL staff, the Chargers could interview him earlier than the rest of the crowd. Coaches on NFL staffs must wait until after the divisional round to interview this year. He would also only cost money, whereas the Patriots still look to be hoping to collect an asset for Bill Belichick‘s rights. Harbaugh, 60, also may be viewed internally as a better option than the 71-year-old Patriots HC. The Bolts’ level of interest in the accomplished college candidate will be one of the central storylines to follow as this year’s HC carousel spins.

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