The Chicago Bears have reportedly had conversations about hiring Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh as a replacement for Matt Eberflus.
Harbaugh’s name will likely be a hot topic during this off-season’s NFL coaching carousel, much like it has been every year since he departed the San Francisco 49ers to begin his tenure with Michigan.
The Athletics’ Dianna Russini was making an appearance on ‘The Herd with Colin Cowherd’ when she was asked if Harbaugh’s name has popped up in coaching conversations.
‘Absolutely, ever since Jim left the NFL his name is always in the mix,’ Russini said to begin her answer. ‘But it certainly has heated up a lot more over the last week or so, so let’s just start with Carolina.
‘The Chicago Bears are another organization I have heard has had some conversations about that, depending on what decision they make with this coaching staff that is in place and of course what they do with that quarterback situation.
‘But Jim is certainly a name that is respected in league circles in the NFL. Ownership is definitely, obviously very interested in what he could bring back to the NFL.
‘So I certainly think this is going to just continue as we get closer to the end the NFL regular season, when ownership can start beginning that process of the coach search.’
Chicago won their most recent game on ‘Monday Night Football’ against the Minnesota Vikings 12-10, in what turned out to be another sloppy display from the Bears offense.
The Bears currently have a 4-8 record and are expected to have the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft thanks to last year’s trade with the Carolina Panthers.
Chicago had earned the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft thanks to their abysmal play throughout the season and decided to trade the pick to the Panthers for a boatload of draft picks to try and further build around young quarterback Justin Fields.
The potential of using the No. 1 pick on a quarterback this year, assuming it does land in the Bears control, has put Fields’ future with the organization in jeopardy, much like Eberflus due to the team’s uneven play this year.
Harbaugh has also been linked with the Los Angeles Chargers, along with the Bears and Panthers.
