Jim Harbaugh finally made his way back to the NFL after almost a decade in the college ranks. He continued his legacy of winning during that time, bringing Michigan back to the top of the sport with their first national championship since 1997. He also continued his legacy of controversies, becoming embroiled in a sign-stealing scandal that got him suspended for multiple games. All of this while continuing a contentious contract dispute with the program. Still, it didn’t stop NFL teams from showing interest. At last, the Los Angeles Chargers were the ones to pull the trigger. Harbaugh will return to the west coast, where he made a name for himself in San Diego and San Francisco.
Watching this unfold, Chicago Bears fans can’t help but feel perplexed. It was the perfect opportunity. Their team holds the #1 pick. Their roster is improving. They could bring Harbaugh home to finally push the organization over the top. Instead, the organization chose to maintain the status quo with Matt Eberflus. It didn’t make sense. Unfortunately, those people don’t accept this reality because they refuse to understand the decision came from the top. No, not GM Ryan Poles. Not team president Kevin Warren, either. Avoiding Harbaugh was, is, and will always be a McCaskey decision. Why? It all stems from the actions of one man, as Rick Morrisey of the Chicago Sun-Times put it.
That was Mike Ditka.
“Iron Mike is the No. 1 reason for Harbaugh’s disqualification in Chicago. He’s the man who made the McCaskey family oh so uncomfortable, even through all that winning, even through that one glorious Super Bowl. Better to be mediocre or worse, apparently, than to have to put up with someone whose volatility might, on any day of the week, lead to an owner with singed eyebrows.
Is Harbaugh a Mini-Mike? No, he’s not. But there’s something about him that’s a degree or two off, something that makes him seem to wear out his welcome wherever he goes … except for Ann Arbor, Mich. It’s a convenient narrative until you get to his stay there…
…Ditka’s time as head coach in Chicago was a wild ride and his end here a 50-car pileup. It’s safe to say the McCaskeys didn’t like any of the spectacle … safe because every hire since has been the opposite of that.”
The McCaskeys were never going to entertain Jim Harbaugh.
Ditka’s antics during his long run in Chicago were legendary. His constant sideline tirades and endless press conference blowups made him a national celebrity. He was also notorious for being combative and heavily opinionated. The McCaskey family bore the brunt of that since George Halas died in 1983, and after a decade, they had finally seen enough. It was such an exhausting experience that ever since then, each of their head coaching hires has involved men with more reserved temperaments. Most people will call them bland. Virginia and her family would call them classy and respectful.
Whatever the definition is, Jim Harbaugh didn’t fit the profile. He’s notorious for being outspoken and hard to predict. The man has never been great at dealing with authority. His competitive streak was always a double-edged sword that led to winning and controversy in equal measure. Even if the Bears chose to fire Eberflus after the 2023 season, Harbaugh would not have been the guy they ended up replacing him with. Fans need to accept that until there is an ownership change, coaches of that type will never be a thing in Chicago.
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