Jim Harbaugh reportedly told rookies he was entertaining NFL offers

Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh was reportedly telling rookies he was being offered entertainment by the NFL.

Having just started the Big Ten Championship and appeared in the College Football Qualifiers, Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh may be turning his attention to NFL.

Based on Sam Webb of 247SportsHarbaugh is said to be telling rookies that he’s at least excited about the idea that he could return to the NFL. Before returning to his alma mater, Harbaugh led the San Francisco 49ers for four years, leading them to the NFC Championship Game three times and Super Bowl 47 in 2013. The only year he didn’t make the 49ers into the knockout stages was his last season in charge of the team in 2014.

Harbaugh has a reputation for never sticking around for long as a head coach. He’s been at Michigan for seven years, but he could be itching to rejoin his brother John in the NFL. If the right job opens, perhaps Harbaugh will leave Ann Arbor?

Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh could return to the NFL

While Harbaugh has a great thing going in Michigan with the werewolves finishing their best season in decades, he will be a candidate for some NFL job if they open. The two things to note that he connects with the most are Chicago Bears and Las Vegas Raiders. He played for the Bears before he graduated from college and began his coaching career for Silver and Black in Oakland.

Chicago is expected to fire Matt Nagy after 4 seasons in charge. While Harbaugh has great memories from his time with the Bears, Chicago hasn’t been doing well in years now. While the same can be said of the Raiders, Harbaugh is said to be very close to owner Mark Davis and will join a playoff team of caliber led by franchise defender Derek Carr.

There are other jobs for which Harbaugh would technically be a candidate. He has a Stanford connection to John Elway, so he could be a possibility if the Denver Broncos leave Vic Fangio. There’s also the appeal of coaching Trevor Lawrence with the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, it would be unlikely that Harbaugh would consider them if Trent Baalke remained the Jaguars general manager.

Ultimately, Harbaugh is wise to at least entertain NFL offers. All this will do is increase his leverage to get a new Michigan contract. While Denver has historically been the best-run of the four mentioned, there is some uncertainty about ownership right now. Unfortunately, no Indianapolis Colts gig was able to push Harbaugh out of Michigan that easily.

Harbaugh is said to have told rookies about potential NFL opportunities across the board which is commendable, but it also jeopardizes any recruiting momentum his program had after. appeared in the College Rugby Round.

For more Football NCAA FanSided’s unique news, analysis, opinions and coverage, including Heisman Trophy and College football tournament rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages.