Could Jim Harbaugh be headed back to the NFL?
Fresh off leading Michigan to its first College Football Playoff appearance, the former San Francisco 49ers head coach reportedly is considering a move back to the pros.
According to The Athletic's Bruce Feldman, Harbaugh "might be tempted" to jump back up to the NFL.
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SIGN UP HERE "I think it’s real," one source told Feldman when asked about the possibility of Harbaugh being interested in NFL jobs.
"The Raiders head coaching job might be tough for him to say no to given his ties to the organization — he started his coaching career there in 2003 — and the fact that there’s already a solid quarterback in place in Derek Carr," Feldman wrote. "He’s also friends with Raiders owner Mark Davis.
"The Bears might be another option."
With just one week to play in the 2021 NFL season, a number of head coaching jobs are expected to open. The Raiders and Jaguars currently employ interim head coaches in Rich Bisaccia and Darrell Bevell, respectively, and they could both be looking for a new permanent hire.
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Elsewhere, the Bears have long been rumored to be moving on from Matt Nagy after the season. The Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers are other potential Harbaugh suitors if a coaching change is made in 2022.
In seven seasons with the Wolverines, Harbaugh boasts a 61-24 record with just one bowl win in 2015. Prior to that, he had a 44-19-1 record with the 49ers from 2011 to 2014. Harbaugh led the 49ers to Super Bowl XLVII, where they lost to his brother John's Baltimore Ravens.
With 14 years of pro experience as a quarterback with the Bears, Colts, Ravens and Chargers, Harbaugh has no shortage of connection to the NFL. We'll have to wait and see if he is tempted enough to leave his alma mater.