The college football regular season just ended, so you know what that means: It's time to talk about Jim Harbaugh potentially leaving Michigan football to go back to the NFL. Before Harbaugh was the head coach of the Wolverines, he was a successful head coach for the San Francisco 49ers, and he took them all the way to the Super Bowl. Then, Harbaugh became the head coach at Michigan in 2o15, and we now hear rumors about him leaving for the NFL every offseason. So far, they have never panned out. However, with the current NCAA investigation going on, a lot of people think that this could be the year.

It's no secret that Jim Harbaugh isn't a fan of the NCAA, and it doesn't seem like the NCAA is a big fan of Harbaugh either. Harbaugh spent half of the Michigan football regular season watching from home because of two separate suspensions, and many people believe that he might be getting fed up with the college football world. Harbaugh's name ‘has percolated in league circles', according to a report from ESPN, so it seems like the rumors will heat up as we inch closer to the offseason. Here is what the ESPN report had to say:

“Jim Harbaugh's name has percolated in league circles, with many believing this might be the year he takes the plunge back in the NFL,” The report stated. “The sign-stealing suspension at Michigan looms large, and winning a national title with the Wolverines would make leaving the program almost poetic. He very well might want personnel power to accompany coaching duties, but he'd have a clear advantage in talking with teams that, per NFL rules, must wait until after the divisional round of the playoffs to interview candidates currently employed by NFL teams. Harbaugh isn't beholden by those rules and is free to talk now.”

Michigan and Harbaugh have dealt with these rumors numerous times, and after the 2021 season, and it really did look like Harbaugh was going to leave for the NFL. However, he didn't, and he said that it would be his last time exploring NFL options and that he was all-in at Michigan. The sign-stealing investigation might change that, though.

There is still no proof that Harbaugh had any knowledge of the sign-stealing scheme at Michigan, but he did get suspended by the Big Ten for the final three games of the regular season because of it. Sherrone Moore took over as head coach during that stretch, and he led the Wolverines to three wins, two coming against top-10 teams. Now, Michigan is heading to the Big Ten title game and likely the College Football Playoff, and Harbaugh will be back for those postseason contests.

Harbaugh and his Michigan football team have a chance to win the national championship, and they are currently the betting favorite to do so. If the Wolverines do win it all, that could make Harbaugh more likely to leave. If he wins a national championship at Michigan, there will be nothing more for him to accomplish there.

There are also current rumors about Harbaugh signing a contract extension with the Michigan football team, so it's obviously very unclear what the future holds at this point. However, the rumors are going to swirl until they are officially put to rest.