The future of Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus is still uncertain, and the possibility of a high-profile hire is beginning to threaten his job security, at least in the media.
Perhaps the most well-known name associated with the franchise thus far is Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh. He transformed the blue-blood program, leading it to the College Football Playoffs in each of the last two seasons. The Wolverines are one win away from making it three CFP appearances in a row with a win over Iowa in the Big 10 Championship Game, and they would have their best chance to win a title in 2023 as the likely No. 1 or No. 2 seed — depending on what happens in the SEC Championship Game between Alabama and Georgia.
Harbaugh, however, may be on his way out of the collegiate ranks after nine years in Ann Arbor and a sign-stealing scandal that threatened to derail a potential championship run. If that’s the case, the former San Francisco 49ers head coach should have a few options for a new professional franchise.
On Friday, December 1, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox named Chicago as Harbaugh’s top destination out of all possible landing spots.
The Bears may offer Jim Harbaugh one of the most enticing NFL jobs.
The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported on The Herd with Colin Cowherd on Wednesday that the Bears have discussed replacing Eberflus with Harbaugh. With that as his backdrop, Knox made his case for Harbaugh to be Chicago’s next coach.
For starters, the cupboard in Chicago isn’t as bare as it is in Carolina and New England. The Bears have only won four games this season, but they have [several] key players. … With $63.5 million in projected cap space in 2024, Chicago can continue to improve its roster through free agency.
Second, Harbaugh began his NFL career as a first-round draft pick with the Chicago Bears in 1987. He was with the team for seven seasons, going 35-30 as a starter and making one playoff appearance.
Finally, Harbaugh may have options for the game’s most important position. While he once failed to become Chicago’s long-desired franchise quarterback, his experience coaching the position may compensate.
Justin Fields is under contract with the Bears for next season and has a fifth-year team option to keep him until 2025. According to Tankathon, Chicago also owns the first and fourth overall picks in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Those options are likely to entice Harbaugh, who has made a career out of developing quarterbacks.
Jim Harbaugh nearly won the Super Bowl three times with the 49ers.
Between stints at Stanford and Michigan, Harbaugh spent only four years in the NFL, but they were fruitful. According to Pro Football Reference, the 49ers made the playoffs in three of Harbaugh’s four seasons as head coach, finishing 8-8 in his final season.
Following the 2012 regular season, Harbaugh lost the Super Bowl to his brother John and the Baltimore Ravens by a score of 34-31. That loss was sandwiched between two NFC Championship Game defeats, one by three points to the New York Giants in 2011 and one by six points to the Seattle Seahawks in 2013. In those seasons, both the Giants and the Seahawks won the Super Bowl.
That kind of immediate success is unlikely for Harbaugh in Chicago, but the pieces are in place to make it happen sooner rather than later.
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