The current NFL regular season hasn’t even finished yet. Despite that, people can’t stop speculating on where Jim Harbaugh will be next season.
The Denver Broncos aren’t the only organization needing a permanent head coach. Following their midseason firings, the Indianapolis Colts and the Carolina Panthers also have interim head coaches. With Red Monday on the horizon, there are sure to be a few more as well.
While there have been some rumblings about Indianapolis being interested in the former 49ers and current Michigan Wolverines head coach, the majority of the noise has been about Denver and Carolina.
Is Harbaugh leaving Michigan for the NFL?
Reports started surfacing last week about Harbaugh’s desire to return to the NFL. In the past few years, he’s conducted interviews with various NFL teams and had been in close contention for the Minnesota Vikings just last year.
On Monday, Fox Charlotte reporter Will Kunkel tweeted that Harbaugh had openly expressed interest in the Panthers’ head coaching vacancy. He also added the appeal stemmed from wanting to avoid being stuck in the highly competitive AFC West division.
Jim Harbaugh has made it known he’s sincere in his interest in the Panthers head coaching job. He likes the roster and loves the opportunity, sources tell @CSLonQCN.
The Broncos job is not as attractive to Harbaugh because of Herbert and Mahomes in the same division.— Will Kunkel (@WillKunkelFOX) January 2, 2023
During his show on Tuesday, Colin Cowherd said that Denver is reportedly going to offer Harbaugh $20 million a season. Cowherd stated that he believes that’ll be enough for Harbaugh to take the job, though he vocalized he doesn’t think Harbaugh should due to the team’s state.
https://twitter.com/XanB21/status/1610329575342440455?s=20&t=pWe0Xv9Z5lCS2z4sKtvSPQ
Then, mere hours after the show aired, it was reported that Panthers’ owner David Tepper had spoken with Harbaugh about the opening.
The plot thickened on Wednesday morning when Tepper told Charlotte-based publication Queen City News, “Although no one knows the future, I think I will be coaching Michigan next year.”
Somehow, so much information continues to come out, and yet the forecast of Harbaugh’s decision remains unclear. With this much smoke, it seems highly unlikely that Harbaugh isn’t seriously considering leaping back to the NFL.
What NFL team would he pick?
There’s no arguing that the Broncos’ ownership group can out-pay any competitor. Denver’s got it in the bag if the decision comes down to strictly money.
If Kunkel’s report is accurate, there might not be any amount of money that’ll make him accept Denver’s offer.
Harbaugh’s coaching history would indicate otherwise, though. Before he joined San Francisco in 2011, the 49ers hadn’t finished a season with a double-digit winning record since 2002. He also inherited Alex Smith, who had never thrown more than 18 touchdowns in a season and led the league in sacks taken just the previous year. Taking the job at Michigan was also not a guarantee for success. Harbaugh has never shown to be fearful of a challenge.
Another concern is Harbaugh’s desire to have control.
The Russell Wilson contract means if Harbaugh goes to Denver, who he’ll play at quarterback has already been determined. There’s a genuine possibility that Harbaugh doesn’t want his grand return risked in the hope that Wilson can turn things around after such a disappointing year.
As it currently stands, the Panthers are on track for a top-10 selection in the 2023 NFL Draft and have more freedom to maneuver. Choosing Carolina also means going to a team that doesn’t have a Super Bowl-winning quarterback.
SportsLine currently has Denver as the more likely outcome over Carolina, with Michigan leading the way.
Has Jim Harbaugh's time at Michigan come to an end? pic.twitter.com/SeY4DAOn07
— SportsLine (@SportsLine) January 4, 2023
With how this process has gone, nobody will probably know for sure until a hire or return is made official. It’ll come down to what factor Harbaugh deems most important to himself.
Harbaugh seems like the best-case scenario at head coach for the Broncos, with Dan Quinn coming in a distant second. This Sunday, Denver (4-12) plays their final game of the year against the Chargers (10-6) in the Mile High City.
Not too long after that, we should know who the Broncos next head man is.