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Details About Los Angeles Chargers’ Massive Jim Harbaugh Contract Revealed

Originally posted on Gridiron Heroics
By Christian Alamodin | Last updated 1/31/24

Jim Harbaugh’s decision to come back to the NFL with the Los Angeles Chargers was something the team badly needed to compete in an AFC West that had Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in it.

Fans who believed that Harbaugh got thrown a lot of money to leave college football, your guess was right on the dot. The amount of money he’s set to make with his new team is something that will stun you, if not raise your eyebrows.

Los Angeles Chargers splurge $80 million for Jim Harbaugh

Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio revealed the amount that the Chargers organization was willing to pay the former Michigan coach as well as the thought process behind the decision:

The Chargers, stung by the perception that they’re cheap, apparently broke the bank to get Jim Harbaugh back in the NFL.

Per multiple sources, it’s believed the former Michigan coach will receive an average salary of $16 million per year from his new team.

Harbaugh’s deal, based on prior reports, covers five years. If it’s all guaranteed, that’s an $80 million commitment.

Several people will question the amount of money the Los Angeles Chargers threw toward Harbaugh. However, his pedigree as a coach is undeniable. He led the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl back in 2013, and he just won everything there is to be won at the college level as the shot-caller at Michigan.

If they win the Super Bowl within the next couple of years, the $80 million will seem like chump change.

Are NFL coaches actually worth that much money?

The large contract has people asking if coaches have a cap on their contracts. Florio supplied the answer, and it may steer the argument into a whole other direction:

It’s always difficult to know exactly how much a coach makes. Some teams have an official salary for the coach paid by the team, supplemented by payments from other businesses the owner runs. Even then, none of the information is publicly disclosed.

It’s easy to see the prices for quality coaches soar over the years. With no regulation on how much coaches earn, it’s not difficult to imagine any closed-door agreements between the two parties.

However, Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions are a perfect reminder of what a great coach can bring to an NFL franchise. If Harbaugh manages to do one better, then all the money in the world is worth it.