The Chicago Bears are going to let the rest of the 2023 season play out. No firings or major changes will take place. That isn’t a surprise. It is a process the organization has always held to. So, a decision on Matt Eberflus as head coach will have to wait. Most people agree that he hasn’t done enough to justify a third season. The team still struggles with consistency, hasn’t beaten a good quarterback in two years, and developed a reputation for late-game collapses. Only the defense’s improvement over the past month can be credited to Eberflus. That isn’t enough for fans. They’re already searching for replacements. Few names are generating more buzz than Jim Harbaugh.
Everybody knows the story by now. Despite years of success, Harbaugh looks like he might be on his way out of Michigan. He wants to return to the NFL, and rumors persist that Chicago is at the top of his wishlist. He played quarterback here for years and saw Mike Ditka as a mentor. Taking over the Bears is a dream in his eyes. Now, it seems the organization is at least discussing the matter. While nobody can dispute his track record of success, there is one thing that could create a problem. Adam Jahns of The Athletic alluded to it in his recent article.
Harbaugh may have one big condition.
Harbaugh has McCarthy. And they win together. A lot. Their next game will be their best test yet. Michigan, the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff, will face Alabama.
But if you’re an NFL team that wants to hire Harbaugh as its coach, do you have to prepare to draft McCarthy, too?
If you listen to Harbaugh, who has praised McCarthy for everything for months, you might have to.
“The record he has speaks for itself,” Harbaugh said Saturday night at Lucas Oil Stadium. “The things you don’t see behind the scenes — you see the talent — but just the toughness, the dedication that he has for the team is unmatched.”
Jim Harbaugh is wholly sold on J.J. McCarthy.
The two have won a lot of games together over the past two seasons, reaching the College Football Playoffs twice. Harbaugh went so far as to compare the Michigan starter to Andrew Luck. Maybe that’s just him talking up his play, but he sure sounded serious when he said the words. If that is the case, what Jahns says is true. Harbaugh will likely push hard for whichever team he lands with to take McCarthy in the draft. That might create issues with Ryan Poles, presuming he stays in his role as Bears GM.
Poles has the final say over the roster. That means the ultimate choice of a quarterback will come down to him. If he’s not sold on McCarthy as a franchise-caliber player, that could create instant tension with Jim Harbaugh. Not exactly the way you want such an important relationship to start. Harbaugh has a history of being combative with authority. It goes back to his days in San Francisco. If he makes it clear McCarthy is a hill he’s ready to die on; then the Bears have to decide how much that package deal is worth.
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