Michigan HC Jim Harbaugh hilariously dodges question about his future

"I'll gladly talk about the future next week," Harbaugh said. "I hope to have one. How about that?"

If Harbaugh does decide to return to the NFL after Monday night's championship game — as his hiring of agent Don Yee (whose client list includes Broncos coach Sean Payton and Tom Brady) indicates, he'll have plenty of suitors with many job openings expected in this coaching cycle. 

Perhaps the most attractive landing spot for Harbaugh is with the Los Angeles Chargers. 

The team perennially underperformed with head coach Brandon Staley, wasting the abilities of quarterback Justin Herbert despite the talent surrounding him. With competent leadership, perhaps Herbert and the Chargers could finally develop into the AFC contenders they were supposed to be. 

Harbaugh also reportedly showed interest in taking over in Carolina for the Panthers, who were far and away the worst team in the NFL in 2023. They also have a young quarterback in 2023 first overall draft pick Bryce Young who would certainly benefit from Harbaugh's mentorship. 

But the players at skill positions in Carolina are much less inspiring than those at Herbert's disposal, and at the moment, seems unlikely that meddlesome owner David Tepper is willing to surrender the amount of control that Harbaugh would demand. 

Additionally, there are a few destinations with young quarterbacks of their own who are yet to officially move on from their current head coaches. Bill Belichick in New England and Ron Rivera in Washington are both likely going to be let go this offseason.

Both situations are closer to (but still ahead of) the Panthers in development than they are the Chargers, but would probably come with the bonus of being able to choose a quarterback rather than inherit one. 

As the 2024 NFL Draft order currently stands, the Commanders and Patriots own the second and third overall picks respectively. In Washington, Harbaugh might get to pick between UNC products Sam Howell and Drake Maye. 

In New England, he'd perhaps get the chance to develop 2023 Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels, or finalists Michael Penix Jr. or Bo Nix. While none of those prospects are viewed with quite the same confidence as the consensus top two of Maye and USC's Caleb Williams, Harbaugh is confident in his ability to maximize the talent of whoever they draft. 

If Harbaugh does jump back to the NFL and wants to compete for a Super Bowl from day one, he should join the Chargers.