ESPN analyst says there is ‘validity’ to Jim Harbaugh NFL rumors

If you’re a Michigan football fan, you are quite used to the Jim Harbaugh NFL rumors that plague every offseason in Ann Arbor. The rumors of Harbaugh returning to the NFL peaked in 2022, when the Wolverines’ head coach interviewed for a job with the Vikings, yet ultimately returned to his alma mater the following season. Still, seeing as Harbaugh boasts a 29-3 record since 2021, the rumor mill continues — according to Greg McElroy of ESPN, there will always be some validity to these grumblings.

ESPN analyst says there is ‘validity’ to Jim Harbaugh NFL rumors

With talks of an NCAA suspension, conference expansion, the transfer portal, NIL, and more, no one would blame Jim Harbaugh for eying a return to the NFL next year. That said, there appears to be no interest from Harbaugh right now, likely due to it being mid-season for his Wolverines.

Still, ESPN analyst Greg McElroy recently expressed his belief that, despite Harbaugh’s commitment to Michigan football, the rumors of his return will always be valid. He said so on the Always College Football podcast.

“When it comes to Jim Harbaugh going to the NFL, I think there’s always validity,” Greg McElroy stated. “Jim Harbaugh has seen his brother win a Super Bowl, and Jim Harbaugh was five yards away from potentially winning a Super Bowl. It’s not that he doesn’t love his job at Michigan, but if the opportunity presents itself to go back to the NFL, I think there’s always gonna be validity.

“College football is a hard job. The (transfer) portal, roster retention, roster development, NIL. It’s hard. In the NFL, there are rules — free agency, draft. NFL’s a lot easier gig for a head coach. By the way, the (Los Angeles) Chargers have a pretty good roster. Obviously a legit, big-time quarterback in (ex-Oregon Duck) Justin Herbert. So I think there’s some validity there potentially, but there always is when it comes to Harbaugh. I think he likes to be wooed, and that’s okay because he’s still winning at a really high clip.”

Michigan football knows what to expect every offseason with Harbaugh as head coach

Michigan football fans know that, even if Jim Harbaugh were to shut down the rumors right now, they would still pop back up by season’s end. As long as Harbaugh is at the college level, people will be tying him to an NFL job — that is just the reality that we live in right now, especially since Harbaugh has Michigan pinned among the nation’s top national title contenders right now.

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