Jim Harbaugh's days in Ann Arbor may be numbered.
After a 12-2 season that included a Big Ten Championship, a trip to the College Football Playoff and a win over Ohio State, Harbaugh may be looking to leave Michigan on a high note.
According to a report from Bruce Feldman of The Athletic, Harbaugh "might be tempted" to leave Michigan and return to the NFL.
And now, The Athletic is hearing rumblings, both from the NFL side and at Michigan, that Harbaugh might be tempted to leave the Wolverines to return to the NFL. “I think it’s real,” said one source this week when asked about the possibility of Harbaugh being interested in heading back to the NFL.
Harbaugh returned to Michigan this season on a restructured contract with a massive pay cut after going just 2-4 with the Wolverines last season. His new deal offered him just $4 million in base salary in 2021 compared to $8 million in 2020.
A jump to the NFL could make sense for Harbaugh if Michigan as the Wolverines will likely see some sort of dropoff next season – and potentially the seasons beyond – with the departures of key players on both sides of the ball. Harbaugh's market value might not get much higher at Michigan than it is right now.
Even if he does return to Michigan, Harbaugh would likely be looking for a significant pay raise after the turnaround 2021 season.
