Mike Vrabel reveals how close he came to Chargers HC job before Jim Harbaugh’s $80,000,000 deal

In one of the most unexpected moves of the 2024 NFL coaching roller coaster, head coach Mike Vrabel was fired by the Tennessee Titans after the 2023 season.

Furthermore, Vrabel did not become a coach at any other organization. He works for the Cleveland Browns as a coaching and personnel consultant right now, and it's likely that he'll stay in that capacity for a year. He would be one of the most coveted candidates for coach's position in the next offseason.

The Los Angeles Chargers entertained the possibility of considering Vrabel for the position of coach before Jim Harbaugh was hired. According to Vrabel himself, he would have been the next in line if Harbaugh had remained at the helm of the University of Michigan.

The former head coach of the Titans disclosed in a recent Pardon My Take podcast that he interviewed for the coach position by the Chargers. But the team's owners later informed him that Harbaugh would be chosen over him.

He was informed, however, that he would have been the next in line solely in the event that Harbaugh had chosen not to rejoin the NFL.

Vrabel reportedly had meetings with the Atlanta Falcons and the Carolina Panthers following his departure from the Titans, according to ESPN NFL source Adam Schefter.

The Panthers decided to go for Dave Canales, the former offensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Raheem Morris, a former defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams, assumed the HC role for the Falcons.

Jim Harbaugh’s 5-year contract with the Chargers reportedly averages $16 million per year

Jim Harbaugh agreed to rejoin the NFL in January as coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. He will earn $16 million a year on average in salary over the course of a five-year contract, according to ProFootballTalk.

According to Sportico, this payment has reportedly become the second-highest salary in the league for a head coach. The only NFL head coach making more money is Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos, who makes $18 million annually.

Harbaugh joins the Chargers after spending nine years with the Michigan Wolverines. There is a chance that by the time his five-year deal in Los Angeles expires, he would already have made up his entire rumored $80 million if he instantly turns around the fortunes of the Chargers.