On Monday night, Jim Harbaugh plays for the second-biggest prize in all of football. The biggest prize still beckons.
Will Harbaugh return to the NFL? The hiring of agent Don Yee is the clearest signal that Harbaugh is thinking about it, especially since he has consistently evaded questions about possibly returning to the NFL.
Potential destinations include the Chargers and Raiders — with (as one league source suggested over the weekend) the Bears and the Patriots.
Last year, Harbaugh was interested in joining the Chargers. They didn’t make a change. This year, they’re looking.
The Raiders are, too. That’s where Harbaugh started his coaching career, more than 20 years ago. Given the possibility that he’ll otherwise join the division as coach of the Chargers, owner Mark Davis might decide to make the plunge for Harbaugh.
The Bears become a potential destination because they drafted him in 1987, in round one. The Patriots would be a strange suitor, but the truth is that Harbaugh has proven that he can win, wherever he goes. Whatever the circumstances.
He turned the 49ers around immediately. He has navigated the NIL era of college football seamlessly. He’s motivated. He’s driven. He’s competitive.
Wherever he goes, if he returns to the NFL the NFL will instantly become more interesting in 2024.