When it comes to finding his next coaching job, John Harbaugh will attack the day with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind.
Starting next week.
The plan to press pause conflicts with the Harbaugh ethic. It’s a strategy, aimed at one apparent thing: Finding out whether the six games to be played this weekend will lead to more openings.
Multiple reports indicate at least nine teams have expressed interest in Harbaugh. With only six non-Ravens openings, that leaves three teams that currently have coaches. And 14 teams still have games to play.
For more than a few of the playoff teams, there’s no way Harbaugh would be a consideration. The Broncos and Seahawks, obviously, will be standing pat. Ditto for the likes of the Patriots, Chargers (that would be a very awkward phone call), Jaguars, Rams, 49ers, Bears, and Texans.
As to the rest, is it crazy to think the Steelers are thinking about the possibility of Mike Tomlin choosing to exit after 19 years? Sure, the Steelers typically hire coaches in their 30s and keep them for a long time. (Harbaugh, at 63, is four years older than Chuck Noll when he retired in 1991.) But if Tomlin walks, maybe they’d embrace a guy who seems to be more than ready to go for another decade or longer.
Some are suggesting that the Eagles would consider bringing Harbaugh back to Philly, where he spent 10 years before becoming Baltimore’s head coach. That would be beyond stunning, given what Nick Sirianni has accomplished in his first five seasons. There’s still a lingering sense that the Eagles are supremely talented, and that they fail far too often to get the most out of what they have. (It would still be an all-time “oh shit” move.)
In Carolina, is David Tepper (a former Steelers minority owner who knows very well what Harbaugh can do) thinking about an upgrade? Even though the Panthers won the NFC South, they were 8-9. And Dave Canales is 13-21 in two seasons, a winning percentage of 38.2.
Harbaugh, in 18 years, has won 61.4 percent of his games.
The two to watch most closely — and the two teams that folks around the league are indeed watching the most closely — are the Packers and Bills.
In Green Bay, new team president Ed Policy has already made it clear that a decision will be made after the season as to whether Matt LaFleur will get a new contract. Policy also has made it clear that he doesn’t like lame-duck arrangements, and LaFleur is signed only through 2026.
Less than two weeks ago, Policy saw what a Harbaugh-led team can do at Lambeau Field, when the Ravens steamrolled the Packers in a 41-24 win.
In Buffalo, it can be argued that the window has already closed on the Bills, and that the supreme skills and abilities of quarterback Josh Allen have created the impression that it remains open. An early, ugly exit against a Jaguars team that is, frankly, better than the Bills could be the thing that prompts owner Terry Pegula to make a change.
Regardless, the fact that Harbaugh’s agent initially said seven teams called combined with the decision to wait until next week to interview for any of the vacancies creates the inescapable impression that one or more of the teams playing this weekend could be contemplating a potential coaching change. And folks in the know are eyeballing Green Bay and Buffalo.
If nothing else, the Harbaugh factor adds plenty of spice to an already spicy six pack of first-round playoff games. Especially if Packers-Bears or Bills-Jaguars comes down to a 44-yard field goal that is missed.
