Which NFL teams would be best fits for Jim Harbaugh? Ranking all six openings

What does Jim Harbaugh want?

That will be the question on the minds of many throughout college football and the NFL as the Michigan coach weighs his options after winning the national championship with the Wolverines on Monday night.

The allure of a potential return to the professional ranks is evident for a coach who has interviewed with teams in each of the last two years. And given that six NFL teams already having vacancies, it seems like a certainty that Harbaugh will at least have several interview requests in the coming weeks. With an 89-25 record at Michigan after a 44-19-1 run with the San Francisco 49ers, the 60-year-old has shown he can build a group into a top contender in short order, making him an attractive option for any outfit seeking an expedited turnaround.

And Harbaugh's hiring of agent Don Yee, whose clients include Sean Payton, only ramped up speculation that an exit is imminent.

Still, Harbaugh has been out of the NFL for nearly a decade, and his last two dalliances with teams – a deal with the Minnesota Vikings never materialized in 2022 despite reports of advanced talks, and he withdrew from consideration for the Denver Broncos' top job last year – didn't lead to a change. Interest doesn't guarantee an offer, and it's unclear whether the famously mercurial coach will be in sync with team owners. And if nothing to his liking emerges this time around, he can return to Michigan – though additional discipline for NCAA violations might await.

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So, what does Harbaugh want?

"I just want to enjoy this," Harbaugh said Monday night when asked about his future and the NFL. "I hope you give me that. Can a guy have that? Does it always have to be what's next, what's the future?"

For nearly everyone besides Harbaugh, the answer is yes.

With that in mind, here's our ranking of all six NFL franchises with a coaching vacancy, based on their potential fit for Harbaugh:

6. Carolina Panthers

Of all the openings, this easily stands out as the one with little sensibility for both the coach and franchise. Carolina's roster outlook is grim, with no first-round pick to help address a woeful receiving corps and shaky offensive line. Harbaugh would also lack flexibility at quarterback, with 2023 No. 1 pick Bryce Young needing to get his development on track after a disastrous rookie campaign.

Then there's the matter of ownership. David Tepper has contended he has sufficient patience, but his track record – which includes three midseason coach firings, punctuated by Frank Reich's dismissal after 11 games in 2023 – suggests otherwise. Why would Harbaugh want to take on such an arduous role with an owner who almost assuredly won't recede into the background? Never say never, but there's not much to this hypothetical.

5. Tennessee Titans

Tennessee's vacancy is the one true surprise of this season, at least so far. In firing Mike Vrabel, controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk said she wanted to "empower an aligned and collaborative team across all football functions." That doesn't scream Harbaugh, unless the coach just so happens to completely find himself in lockstep with general manager Ran Carthon.

The move seems to be a precursor to an extensive rebuild, and the roster likely will get worse before it can get any better. Harbaugh should have more enticing options.

4. Atlanta Falcons

The talent is largely playoff-caliber, and the underwhelming NFC South should provide a favorable setup for the foreseeable future. Initial expectations could be relatively reasonable, too, as owner Arthur Blank would likely be thrilled if the next coach can deliver the franchise's first playoff berth since 2017. Might Atlanta break from its long run of hiring first-time NFL coaches – Blank hasn't brought on someone with experience leading a pro franchise since he bought the team in 2002 – in an attempt to get a quick bump from someone like Harbaugh?

Ultimately, however, there may be a ceiling on the Falcons' appeal. Under Arthur Smith, Atlanta was dogged by an inability to find a long-term solution at quarterback. There might not be an easy avenue to address that issue, as the Falcons currently have the No. 8 pick in the 2024 NFL draft, which likely puts them out of range for the top passing prospects in USC's Caleb Williams, North Carolina's Drake Maye and LSU's Jayden Daniels. Perhaps more importantly: The Falcons are the only team with a coaching vacancy that has a standing power structure for personnel decision-making, as general manager Terry Fontenot will return and advise Blank and CEO Rich McKay on the search. That could make this a somewhat difficult sell, as other organizations can pitch bringing in someone who is aligned with Harbaugh.

3. Washington Commanders

If Harbaugh wants a blank slate, here it is. Washington essentially tore its roster down to the studs and currently trails only the Tennessee Titans in effective cap space for 2024 with more than $63 million, according to OverTheCap.com. Owning the No. 2 pick in the draft affords the Commanders the opportunity to make their most significant long-term quarterback investment since selecting Robert Griffin III in the same slot in 2012. And with Josh Harris stating he is pursuing a "thorough but rapid" process of identifying the next coach, Harbaugh might be the type of figure for whom the new owner would make an aggressive move to land.

As fun as a brotherly connection in the area would be for the Harbaugh family, the fit still might not be quite right. Washington will be a significant rebuild for whichever coach takes on the job. Is the flexibility worth what looks likely to be a multi-year slog to becoming competitive?

2. Los Angeles Chargers

Perhaps this should really be 1A, as the Chargers have ample appeal after firing Brandon Staley during the season. Justin Herbert's presence alone gives this vacancy more immediate upside than any of the alternatives, as the 25-year-old quarterback has already shown he can help compensate for rampant deficiencies elsewhere. President of football operations John Spanos has pledged that the franchise will spare no expense in its search, and it could be poised to break from its previous ways by making a splash with a highly sought-after figure.

But there are some unpleasant realities for the Bolts to address in short order. A salary-cap crunch could remove a sizable chunk of the remaining top talent off the roster, with pass rushers Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa and wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams each carrying 2024 cap hits of more than $32 million. Meanwhile, there are few building blocks to help facilitate a needed youth movement. And it remains to be seen whether the Spanos family will be willing to tolerate a prickly personality in Harbaugh and potentially shift what has long been a fairly rigid top-down power structure, if the coach demands an adjustment.

1. Las Vegas Raiders

Mark Davis' proclivity for splashy hires is no secret. If the Raiders owner wants to go all in for Harbaugh, he would have advantages beyond his checkbook to offer. Las Vegas might prove to be the most adaptable option in aligning personnel matters to the coach's liking, and Davis is the kind of owner who could shrug off the coach's idiosyncrasies more easily than others. Two elite cornerstones are already in place in Davante Adams and Maxx Crosby – though some damage control with each might be required if the team passes up interim coach Antonio Pierce, whom Adams and Crosby have both backed. Harbaugh and Davis are also plenty familiar with one another, with the former beginning his coaching career with the Raiders in 2002-03 as a quarterbacks coach.

Yes, there's plenty of quarterback uncertainty, and Las Vegas' outlook doesn't measure up to Los Angeles' in a few factors. But the fit is still evident, and the Raiders stand apart in having possibly the greatest motivation to land Harbaugh – and therefore a potentially distinct capacity to give him what he desires.