Whether or not Jim Harbaugh joins the LA Chargers to be the team's next head coach is the biggest story around the organization since the team drafted Justin Herbert in 2020. The entire NFL world is waiting to see where Harbaugh ends up as the thought of pairing him with Herbert is terrifying for other teams.
There has been an abundance of positive developments that have broken the Chargers' way throughout the entire process. That all culminated on Tuesday when the Chargers met with Harbaugh for a second time (this time with his wife reportedly tagging along).
The Bolts are now reportedly in "striking distance" of a deal with Harbaugh as fans patiently wait for the news. It is not going to be easy to get across the Harbaugh finish line, though, as the sought-after head coach is (likely unintentionally) sending Chargers fans for a loop with his ongoing saga with the Atlanta Falcons.
Harbaugh initially had a meeting with the Falcons scheduled for Wednesday that was reported to be postponed if not canceled. At that point in time, Chargers fans were convinced that they got their man.
However, it was then reported that Harbaugh's meeting would be pushed back to Thursday, which killed the enthusiasm. There was still the glimmer of hope that the meeting wouldn't happen, though, which was still a positive development for Chargers fans.
To put a ribbon on the entire saga, NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported that Harbaugh's interview for Thursday was on the schedule "for days". This doesn't appear to be a case of Harbaugh canceling, postponing, or anything of that nature. This was the situation the entire time, it seems.
Jim Harbaugh’s meeting in Atlanta has been on the Thursday schedule for days. Will the Chargers let him out of the building? 👀 https://t.co/SGkWHi3WRi
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 24, 2024
Chargers fans shouldn't expect a Jim Harbaugh decision that soon
Many fans though that the news would break on Tuesday after Harbaugh's meeting with the Chargers or the day after on Wednesday. With all of these ongoing developments and changes to the story, it is clear that this process is going to be drawn out.
Are the Chargers still the runaway favorites to hire Harbaugh this winter? Absolutely. But fans are going to have to be patient as Harbaugh rightfully takes his time making arguably the most important decision of his coaching career.
It is definitely exhausting and fans would love to get the news so that they can move on to the rest of the offseason and prepare for the 2024 season. But it was never going to be that easy and there will be even more twists and turns to go along with this ongoing Falcons saga.
Just stay patient, Chargers fans. The story is changing by the hour and until there is official confirmation, anything can happen.