Chargers Interested in Hiring Jim Harbaugh; Commanders to Follow Suit?

The Los Angeles Chargers are starting their head coaching search early after firing Brandon Staley following their last game against the Las Vegas Raiders, a 63-21 blowout on Thursday Night Football.

Another team who could also be looking for a new head coach in the coming weeks is the Washington Commanders, who have indicated that Ron Rivera will be fired at season's end.

The Commanders sit at 4-10, one game worse than the Chargers, and are looking for a possible reset ... perhaps Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh could be that answer. According to Bleacher Report insider Jordan Schultz, the Chargers are interested in bringing Harbaugh back to the NFL.

However, Richard Johnson of Sports Illustrated is reporting that Michigan is preparing a contract extension offer for Harbaugh, which would pay him $55 million over five seasons. However, Johnson adds that "the main hurdle remaining is a commitment in writing from Harbaugh that he will not pursue and NFL job this cycle."

To say that Harbaugh's career is at a strange juncture right now would be putting it lightly. On one hand, he served a three-game suspension from the Big 10 in relation to the Connor Stalions sign-stealing scandal at the end of the regular season, and the possibility of the NCAA levying further sanctions in the future still looms. On the other hand, Harbaugh has returned his alma matter to glory, as Michigan is 13-0 and will be the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff.

A case can certainly be made for staying if you're Harbaugh, but from here, leaving Michigan on top and taking another crack at the NFL might be the best career move for Harbaugh, who will turn 60 later this month. He's flirted with a return to the NFL the past two offseasons, and you only get so many chances to coach at the highest level in the sport.

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What's likely happening now is that Harbaugh's agent is working back channels to try to figure out if teams like the Commanders and Chargers view him as a serious candidate for the vacancies they are expected to have after the season. If interest is lukewarm for Harbaugh, of course he should take the extension from Michigan, which seemingly would only bar him from pursuing an NFL job this upcoming offseason, not for the entirety of the deal. But Harbaugh may be best served just playing things out and seeing if he gets an NFL offer this offseason. If not, it's hard to think Michigan won't still be willing to offer him the contract.

The reality is that for as bad as things ended with Harbaugh and the San Francisco 49ers, he led them to three NFC Championship Games, an appearance in Super Bowl XLVII and a 49-22-1 record. His resume is too good not to get another shot in the NFL at some point.