It’s been 24 years since Jim Harbaugh threw his final pass as an NFL quarterback, but the 60-year-old still has the strength and build of someone who can still play.
After a nine-year run at the University of Michigan that culminated with a 2023 national championship, Jim Harbaugh decided to return to the NFL and accepted the Los Angeles Chargers’ head coaching position.
On Thursday, NFL insider Jay Glazer of FOX Sports shared a video of the new Chargers head coach working with rookie offensive lineman Willis Patrick, who’s listed at 340 pounds on NFL.com.
Harbaugh was using a resistance band to pull his hulking offensive linemen. And Harbaugh made it look effortless:
Jim Harbaugh pulling some beef at the end of practice today… in cleats. Classic. @chargers #GlazeAcrossAmerica @nflonfox #chargers #trainingcamp pic.twitter.com/fmCVbxDwvH
— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) July 25, 2024
Jim Harbaugh inherits a talented but constantly underachieving team that finished 5-12 last year, leading to the in-season firings of head coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco.
Despite the all-world play of quarterback Justin Herbert since his arrival in 2020, the Chargers have just one playoff appearance and no postseason victories in that period. The Bolts memorably blew a 27-0 lead to the Jacksonville Jaguars in their 2022 AFC Wild Card Round defeat.
The Chargers will kick off the Jim Harbaugh era with a Week 1 home tilt against the AFC West rival Las Vegas Raiders on Sept. 8 (4:05 p.m. EST).
Jim Harbaugh Gets Another Shot At The NFL
Harbaugh had several opportunities to return to the NFL during his tenure at Michigan, but he remained committed to the NCAA program for almost a decade. After reaching the mountaintop in January, Harbaugh finally decided to give the NFL another go.
His first run as an NFL head coach was with the San Francisco 49ers (2011 to 2014). He led the team to three straight NFC Championship Game appearances and a trip to Super Bowl 47, where they lost to the Baltimore Ravens (coached by his older brother John).
