Here we go again.
It feels like every offseason since Jim Harbaugh joined Michigan after coaching the San Francisco 49ers, the rumor mill starts up about the former QB coming back to the NFL as a head coach again.
In 2023, it’s happening again.
The Athletic reports “Multiple sources close to Jim Harbaugh told The Athletic on Monday they expect he will leave Michigan for the NFL if a franchise offers him a coaching job.”
Intriguing! Although we’re a week away from the traditional day in which we find out which NFL head coach job openings are available, let’s speculate and rank which possible teams he could actually leave the Wolverines for:
4
Denver Broncos
They’ve already fired Nathaniel Hackett. But given the disaster that is Russell Wilson this season and all the money and years the QB is tied up for, this seems like the least desirable spot.
For what it’s worth, there could be ties to this organization that would make sense, per The Athletic:
There is also the Stanford connection. Broncos CEO Greg Penner and his wife, co-owner Carrie Walton Penner, both attended graduate school at the university. Limited shareholder Condoleezza Rice, who is part of Denver’s search committee, also has deep ties to Stanford, where Harbaugh coached from 2007 to 2010. Rice recently helped Stanford conduct its search for long-time coach David Shaw’s replacement.
Penner also noted in his media address last month following the firing of Nathaniel Hackett that he was looking for CEO-type qualities in the team’s next head coach, who will report directly to Penner. That would be a box checked by Harbaugh, who has spent the past 19 seasons as a head coach at the college or pro level.
I don’t know. Maybe he thinks he could help Wilson bounce back.
Wondering what a potential coaching staff would look like for Jim Harbaugh w/#Broncos?
Ejiro Evero & current Raven OC Greg Roman were on Harbaugh's staff w/49ers. Harbaugh's ST coach been out of NFL since 2020. Rosburg logical choice.
David Shaw w/Harbaugh at Stanford.
— Eric Goodman (@EricGoodman) January 2, 2023
3
Indianapolis Colts
This assumes the Colts don’t retain Jeff Saturday. Their QB situation continues to be a serious problem, and even though Harbaugh is a former Colts quarterback, I wonder if there could be better situations that develop as the offseason begins for a bunch of NFL teams next week.
Jim Harbaugh outside the Colts facility Monday morning like: pic.twitter.com/vaEH0cgema
— Dustin Brewer (@dstnbrwr) December 31, 2022
2
Carolina Panthers
There’s lot of speculation that the franchise could turn Steve Wilks from interim head coach to a full-timer given how the team performed under him after he took over for the fired Matt Rhule.
But let’s play it out and say the job opens up this offseason. The Panthers have talent on both sides of the ball … except at quarterback. It could be a good long-term job.
If I were the Panthers, I would give Jim Harbaugh a phone call 🤔🏈💙🖤
— Armani Byrd (@SportsGuru_803) January 1, 2023
1
Arizona Cardinals
This seems ideal for both sides.
It seems like Kliff Kingsbury could be fired next week. And Harbaugh would immediately take over a team with an offense lead by Kyler Murray that he could tinker with. From Day 1, he’d have a pretty decent roster!
Let’s have Sean Payton and Jim Harbaugh arm wrestle for the Cardinals job at halftime.
— Jody Oehler (@radiojody) December 31, 2022
