Jim Harbaugh is currently deciding whether to accept a contract extension to stay on as head coach of the Michigan football program or bolt for the NFL. If he does sign the new deal, there is an interesting NFL-related clause in the contract.
“Sources say Harbaugh, whose current deal runs through 2026, received an offer from Michigan for a 10-year, $125-million contract extension that would make him one of the highest-paid coaches in college football,” NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported on Sunday. “If he signed the deal — which he has not yet done — Harbaugh would agree not to entertain or accept an NFL job for the 2024 season. The NFL clause would be one season only, but that's apparently been enough to drag out the process. Michigan has also offered Harbaugh a far shorter deal worth about $11 million per year, sources say.”
This seems like a strange detail to hold up a Jim Harbaugh contract extension unless the Michigan football coach was planning on signing a new decade-long and leaving for the NFL before the ink was dry.
Jim Harbaugh seems torn about returning vs. going back to NFL
Harbaugh, who took the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl back in 2012, is drawing a lot of interest from NFL teams in recent years and is still dealing with the fallout of the Michigan sign-stealing scandal that saw him serve a three-game suspension from the Big Ten as the end of the regular season.
There could be more issues resulting from this scandal, including a looming NCAA suspension.
Whether Harbaugh is waiting to see what happens with potential discipline or just getting antsy at his alma mater, this strange no-NFL clause in a potential contract extension illustrates just how much the coach seems to be considering jumping back to the pros.
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