A previous report shared that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers “called about” former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and discovered that Harbaugh would want to pick his own general manager with his next team.
It seems there’s at least some legitimacy to that claim.
John Harbaugh ready to make massive demands during upcoming interviews?
During a Friday appearance on ESPN Cleveland, Cleveland Browns reporter Tony Grossi of The Land on Demand said that he had spoken with a league insider regarding Harbaugh’s “prerequisites” to meet with a team about its opening.
“$20M a year,” Grossi said about Harbaugh’s alleged salary demands. “$10M assistant coach budget. Total authority over the roster, and also would like to select his own [general manager].”
According to Grossi, Harbaugh wants more say over the roster at his next NFL home than what he had during his Ravens tenure.
Back in September, Sportico’s Kurt Badenhausen revealed that Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs is currently the NFL’s highest-paid coach via a deal that pays him $20M per season.
Who are the favorites to land John Harbaugh?
The Buccaneers reportedly had no interest in moving on from general manager Jason Licht, and they are sticking with head coach Todd Bowles. On Friday, it was learned that the Miami Dolphins were finalizing an agreement to hire Green Bay Packers vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan as their next general manager.
Los Angeles Chargers assistant general manager Chad Alexander has a relationship with the Harbaugh family and was previously a finalist in the Dolphins’ GM search.
The New York Giants retained general manager Joe Schoen after the 2025 campaign, and the Browns stuck with general manager Andrew Berry. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Falcons are currently searching for a new general manager, a new head coach and a president of football.
Falcons owner Arthur Blank is expected to hire franchise icon Matt Ryan as his president of football.
“I think there are four definite candidates for Harbaugh to end up with,” Grossi continued. “Cleveland, now, is fourth.”
Grossi named the Dolphins, Falcons and Giants as the other possible landing spots for Harbaugh.
That said, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio is among the NFL reporters who have suggested that at least one team participating in the wild-card round of the playoffs could be a loss away from parting ways with its head coach. Such a club and other contenders may now know what it will take to win the Harbaugh sweepstakes this winter.
