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The Jim Harbaugh situation is probably still a week or so away from being resolved, but in the meantime, some potential dominos are falling by the wayside. There has been plenty of speculation, but the most notable piece of actual news is that Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross announced he will bring back Joe Philbin to be the team's head coach in 2015. Philbin was believed to be on the hot seat, and I have to think the Dolphins comeback win over Minnesota had to help get the vote of confidence.
This announcement is noteworthy because there were rumors the Dolphins might get in the Jim Harbaugh sweepstakes if a trade was to be made. Aside from the rumors of a resignation and return to Michigan, there are also rumors the Oakland Raiders and Chicago Bears might be interested in Jim Harbaugh.
As more teams grow interested, it is possible that could raise the haul the 49ers bring back. Of course, Jim Harbaugh can also reject a trade, so if he thinks the new team is giving up too many draft picks, he might be inclined to decline the deal. This is just one more angle to consider in what has grown into a very complicated situation for Jim Harbaugh and the San Francisco 49ers.
This all comes as Jay Glazer reported Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers will part ways within two days of the end of the season. This could involve Harbaugh resigning and going to Michigan, it could involve the 49ers firing him, or it could involve the 49ers and Harbaugh figuring out a trade to another NFL team. Michigan seems to be developing into the heavy favorite based on the chatter, but we'll hopefully have resolution soon.
I'm flying back to Washington, DC that Monday, leaving Las Vegas (visiting my brother for Christmas) at 11 a.m. At this point in the drama, I just hope it goes down on Tuesday. I should have wifi on the plane, but I really don't feel like having to scramble on the flight. I just want one thing in this whole nonsensical, crappy situation to be at least a little bit easier for me to handle.