The New York Jets aren’t getting John Harbaugh this offseason, but a division rival might.
NFL Insider Josina Anderson shared on social media that the Miami Dolphins’ ownership “has expressed an affinity for John Harbaugh recently.”
Earlier this week, Miami fired head coach Mike McDaniel after four seasons with the team. He finished with a 35-33 record as the HC of the Dolphins.
“With John Harbaugh available, and Dolphins owner Stephen Ross’ ties to the family, he now looms as a key candidate for Miami. A reason to fire a coach, with the thought that they could get Harbaugh,” NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport explained.
Bad News Potentially for the Jets Inside the AFC East
“It would be the Jets luck to see Mike Vrabel & John Harbaugh added to the AFC East in back-to-back years,” NFL Insider Connor Hughes of SNY reacted on social media.
When Harbaugh was unexpectedly fired by the Baltimore Ravens, a noticeable shift occurred. On social media, a large contingent of Jets fans and media personalities urged Woody Johnson to fire Aaron Glenn to chase Harbaugh.
A pair of team insiders immediately shut down that noise.
“There was a major contingency within Jets Twitter that was like, ‘Oh, this means we are going to fire Aaron Glenn and go get John Harbaugh.’ Like that was actually the thought process. A couple of things on this, one, that’s not happening at all. The Jets, from my understanding, because I looked into this after I was put onto it, the Jets have zero interest in Harbaugh,” NFL Insider Connor Hughes of SNY emphatically revealed on “Jets Final Drive.”
“I can tell you they were not one of the teams that reached out to [Harbaugh after he was fired],” Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic added.
So the Jets definitely aren’t getting him, but it would sting extra if a division rival did.
Harbaugh has a sterling resume. He has won a Super Bowl as a head coach and has been a consistent winner. While the Jets have been a dumpster fire over that same span of time.
Slightly Good News… Potentially for the Jets Amid the Harbaugh Sweepstakes?
Chad Alexander worked for the Jets as a director of player personnel for five years during the Joe Douglas era. Before that, he worked for 20 years with the Ravens. During that stretch, he crossed over with Harbaugh.
Alexander was named a finalist for the Dolphins GM job. If he got the job, that could have been a strong indication that they could also land Harbaugh.
On Friday, January 9, ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter shared that Miami went in a different direction. They were finalizing a deal to hire Packers VP of Player Personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan instead.
What does that mean?
“Here’s the deal: If Harbaugh isn’t cool with the GM that the Dolphins hire, it’s just not going to be a match. That’s something the Dolphins are willing to accept,” ESPN’s Jeff Darlington explained. “Yes, they are interested in Harbaugh. But the Dolphins are prioritizing the GM search over the head coaching search. That’s the structure they desire.”
Harbaugh and Alexander were viewed as a potential pair. That seems less apparent with Miami’s new GM, but not impossible.
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