Jim Harbaugh: Adam Schefter, Pete Thamel share where NFL interest stands ahead of national championship

Monday night, Michigan will take on Washington for the national championship. When the clock hits zeroes, one team will bring home a trophy, while the other will return to campus to start preparations for next season.

No matter what happens, attention will immediately turn to what’s next for Jim Harbaugh. Rumors are swirling about a possible return to the NFL for a third straight year, although reports indicated he wouldn’t address a possible NFL future until after the College Football Playoff. However, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported, Harbaugh notably hired NFL agent Don Yee to represent him.

Ahead of kickoff, Schefter and Pete Thamel shared where things stand with Harbaugh, and regardless of the outcome of Monday’s game, Harbaugh could at least flirt with an NFL return once again.

“I don’t think the result really matters much in terms of Harbaugh’s next steps,” Thamel told Jess Sims on College Football Live. “I think all signals show that Harbaugh is going to explore the NFL, as he has the last two seasons. Remember, on Signing Day two years ago, he interviewed with the Minnesota Vikings. Last year, he went deep with the Broncos before deciding to come back to Michigan. Part of that, Jess, was he knew what kind of team he had coming back this year.

“So again, by hiring Don Yee, the NFL agent as Adam has reported, there’s an expectation that Harbaugh dances the dance again with the NFL. Whether or not he goes, and I think Adam could speak to this, I think it’s more NFL-dependent than Jim Harbaugh-decision-dependent.”

When it comes to heading back to the NFL, where he has a 44-19-1 record, Harbaugh will look for the right situation. With five head coaching vacancies — including the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders, which both have connections to Harbaugh — Schefter said he will have his options should he decide to go back.

“I think he’s wide open to going [to the NFL],” Schefter said. “And the question is whether a team will convince him to go. … If there’s a team out there that says, ‘We want Jim Harbaugh and we’re gonna do what it takes to get him,’ I think he’s all ears. Now, I think the Chargers absolutely are interested in talking with Jim Harbaugh. I think the Raiders are very curious about Jim Harbaugh. I think the [Atlanta] Falcons, who had an opening last night, could come to express some interest in Jim Harbaugh. So there’s some spots and there’s some opportunities.

“And the question is, does he go ahead and take the plunge? … I think the one thing we’ve come to see and learn with Jim Harbaugh is when you think you know, you don’t know. But he’s gonna listen and there will be opportunities.”

What if Jim Harbaugh decides to stay at Michigan?

Of course, even with all the rumors flying around, there’s always the idea Harbaugh returns to Michigan. The Wolverine has reported UM is prepared to offer an extension to make him the highest-paid coach in the Big Ten, and NFL Network reported it would be for 10 years and $125 million. However, there would likely be a clause preventing Harbaugh from exploring the NFL this offseason.

Then, there are the ongoing investigations into the Michigan program. Harbaugh is at the center of an inquiry into recruiting violations during the COVID-19 dead period and comments he made to investigators. Meanwhile, the Wolverines are in the middle of a sign-stealing scandal that could see Harbaugh receive Level I violations for head coach responsibility, which might include a suspension.

Those are both factors in the contract negotiations, according to Thamel, as both Michigan and Harbaugh want to make sure their bases are covered.

With all this going on, though, Harbaugh said he’s maintaining a “one-track mind” in the lead-up to the national championship Monday night. However, Schefter said, Yee’s role is to look at what options could be out there in the NFL.

So while Monday’s game is important, the conversation is likely to take a quick turn Tuesday morning — and beyond.

“I think that while Jim is preparing for tonight’s game and is completely focused on the task at hand, Don Yee’s job is to go survey the landscape and figure out what is out there for his client so that when Jim gets done with this game tonight, they have a conversation tomorrow morning, and he says, ‘Here’s how the landscape looks for you at the NFL level,” Schefter said. “‘I think we’ve got this, I don’t think we’ve got that, I think this come through, maybe not that.’ But Don will give Jim a full debriefing of the NFL world that exists out there for him.

“And there will be interest. I can tell you that.”