After a second interview on Monday, Jim Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers are in "striking distance" of a deal, according to NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo.
"Something could happen between Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers in the near future," he said in a television appearance. "My understanding is it is an extremely strong offer that they have made to him financially. They are now in a point where they are going to discuss staffing when it comes to general manager and obviously the coaching staff.
"This feels like advancing to the point where, if everybody's comfortable with a lot of the principal factors at play, that this team could move on Jim Harbaugh and get him under contract here in the near future."
From The Insiders on #NFLPlus and @nflnetwork: The #Chargers and Jim Harbaugh are now in striking distance of getting a deal done as Harbaugh is in LA today for another meeting with the team. pic.twitter.com/YJhNzRzOcP
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 23, 2024
This is not the first time Harbaugh has sought or entertained interest from the NFL, and it's also not the first time he's come close to getting a job since returning to Michigan.
In the winter of 2022, multiple reports indicated Harbaugh thought the Minnesota Vikings job was his until a change very late in the process ultimately led the team to hire Kevin O'Connell instead.
Harbaugh said he was done chasing jobs after that, which we all know now is not true.
Either way, perhaps that experience leads Harbaugh to be more flexible to outside influence in terms of hiring than he would have been previously, knowing how easily a coveted NFL head coaching job can slip out of his grasp.
Michigan's contract offer is said to be in the $125 million range in total, so it would be interesting to know if the Chargers feel they need to match or beat that given Harbaugh's motivation to return to the game's highest level.
Either way, we could have an end to this 3-year saga soon.
Stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.