It’s been a whirlwind of news surrounding former Ravens HC John Harbaugh over the last two days, but despite not being directly involved, the San Francisco 49ers might be getting some good news out of it. Harbaugh was the head coach in Baltimore for 18 seasons and has a Super Bowl title under his belt, but a string of disappointing postseason exits followed by missing the playoffs this season was too much for him to overcome.
Once he was let go by the Ravens, Harbaugh immediately became the top head coaching candidate available. The 49ers are more than happy with their coach, Kyle Shanahan — who is up for Coach of the Year after he led San Francisco to a 12-5 record and the No. 6 seed in the NFC despite the 49ers being devastated by injuries, especially on defense.
Other teams, however, are falling over themselves to chase down Harbaugh, including teams who still have head coaches in place. All told, Harbaugh has heard from nine franchises, despite there being only seven head coaching spots open (not including the Ravens, who won’t be hiring Harbaugh for obvious reasons). More drama is sure to come as this pursuit plays out.
How the San Francisco 49ers Could Benefit from the Latest John Harbaugh News
GettyGLENDALE, ARIZONA – NOVEMBER 16: Head coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers looks on during warmups before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on November 16, 2025 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
Of all the possible landing spots for Harbaugh, the Dolphins might be the most interesting. They fired their head coach — former 49ers OC Mike McDaniel — on Thursday, as rumors of their interest in Harbaugh continued to heat up. For his part, McDaniel immediately becomes the top offensive coordinator candidate on the market, and could even end up rejoining Shanahan’s staff in San Francisco.
Miami has been searching for a new general manager this whole time, and will now add a head coaching search to the mix as well. They are interviewing four finalists for their general manager position: Dolphins interim GM Champ Kelly, Chargers assistant GM Chad Alexander, 49ers director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams, and Packers VP of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan.
ESPN’s Peter Schrager reported on Thursday that he expects the Dolphins to ramp up interest in Harbaugh, and they could look to pair him with Alexander, who used to be part of Baltimore’s front office and worked with Harbaugh.
If that happens, it would be a big win for the 49ers, who would get to hold onto Williams. He’s become an important part of San Francisco’s front office and losing him would be a tough blow. If Miami goes in a different direction, the 49ers would be grateful.
The San Francisco 49ers Have a Big Test on Sunday
Shanahan brilliantly navigated a tough injury situation and guided the 49ers to a playoff berth, nearly winning the toughest division in the league in the process. Despite missing starting QB Brock Purdy for a chunk of the season and losing what feels like half of their starting defense, it’s gotten San Francisco back to the postseason.
But now their reward for all of that is a tough road game in the wildcard round against the Eagles. It’s a brutal matchup for San Francisco, as Philadelphia is great at running the ball and attacking the vulnerabilities of the wounded 49ers defense. If San Francisco should advance, however, it would be yet another testament to Shanahan’s brilliant coaching job.
49ers Could Benefit From Latest John Harbaugh News