NFL insider: Jim Harbaugh, Sean Payton remain 'options' in Denver Broncos head coaching search
Even though he previously appeared to indicate his plans to return to Michigan, the Jim Harbaugh-to-the-NFL rumors are still rolling strong. He’s again connected to the Denver Broncos, and NFL reporter Ian Rapoport confirmed he’s still an “option” for the job.
Rapoport joined The Pat McAfee Show Tuesday and confirmed two candidates still in the running for the job: Harbaugh and Sean Payton. Harbaugh previously interviewed with Denver and reportedly met with the team last week, while Payton’s name has come up throughout the offseason as he weighs whether or not to jump back into coaching after a stint with FOX.
The Broncos search has taken many turns, and Rapoport said there are a few directions they could go. That said, he’s not ready to rule out Harbaugh or Payton just yet.
“You look at their situation. There are two things that could be happening right now, and they are opposite. One is Denver is collecting itself and getting ready to put in new slips to restart their search, or they are going to someone who has not yet been eliminated. Many of the candidates have been eliminated.
“When Harbaugh officially signs his deal, I would eliminate him, but I don’t think that’s been eliminated 1,000 percent. And Sean Payton has not been eliminated. So until Sean says, ‘I’m going back to TV,’ and Harbaugh says, ‘We’re good and I’m definitely going back to Michigan,’ those are still options.”
Although he said it’s possible Denver looks for someone new, Rapoport reiterated that doesn’t appear to be the case right now. He thinks the team is still looking at names that have been already thrown around.
“If you’re asking is it someone we don’t know, I was told very strongly it is not someone we don’t know,” Rapoport said.
Report: Jim Harbaugh met with Denver Broncos owner, no deal materialized
Broncos owner Greg Penner flew to Ann Arbor, Michigan and met with Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh to discuss the Broncos open head coaching position, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. No deal resulted from the meeting.
The Broncos appeared to be the most likely destination for Harbaugh were he to leave Michigan, but it seemed in mid-January that he was out of the running. Harbaugh and University of Michigan president Santa J. Ono announced then that Harbaugh would return to Michigan for the 2023 season.
But since then, Harbaugh continued his dance with the NFL — a dance that will, at this point, seemingly go on until he gets another NFL gig or retires from coaching.