The San Francisco 49ers plan to fire Jim Harbaugh after the 2014 season ends and while there is a chance that the team could look for a trade, it's clear they are moving on and teams like the Chicago Bears, Oakland Raiders, Miami Dolphins, NY Jets and Cleveland Browns all could be interested in Harbaugh, while the Michigan Wolverines have already offered him a contract to be head coach.
Harbaugh's future has been up in the air all season after reports came out about friction between the head coach and the front office and now reports have the 49ers moving on. According to Jay Glazer from Fox Sports, the Niners are prepared to fire Harbaugh 24-48 hours after the season ends, which would give the team time to possibly look for a trade. Harbaugh has one year left on his deal and Adam Schefter reported earlier in the season that the Oakland Raiders and NY Jets could be interested in trading for the head coach.
Most coaches are simply fired by teams when they want to move on, even when they have time left on their contracts, but Harbaugh is not "most coaches" and he will interest other teams. Harbaugh took his team to three straight NFC championship games and on Super Bowl and 2014 was the first season that the Niners missed the playoffs with him as head coach. The Raiders may look at getting Harbaugh in a trade, as they need a complete overhaul and he has shown that he can handle those types of jobs.
The Jets are in a similar situation, but since they are on the east coast many believe that if Harbaugh had a choice he would pick the Raiders. Harbaugh is considered to be the hottest name on the coaching market and he could be a fit for the Bears, as Jay Glazer writes that the team may ditch Marc Trestman and since he has a connection there from his playing days, Harbaugh could be a fit.
Harbaugh hasn't explicitly said that he would like total team control with personnel, but based on some issues that have come up with the 49ers, it's likely that he wants a bit more than he just had in San Francisco. The Jets and the Raiders could fit the bill there, as there is a chance that both teams will be looking for new head coaches and GMs. The Raiders are not likely to keep Tony Sparano as head coach, while Reggie McKenzie is not totally safe after the way the Raiders have performed. Same goes for Rex Ryan and John Idzik in New York and that could open things up for Harbaugh.
Michigan has also looked into Harbaugh and they have reportedly offered him a deal worth nearly $50 million over six years. ESPN reports that Harbaugh wants to stay in the NFL but that he is "considering" the offer. This is the first not-above-500 season for Harbaugh with the 49ers, as they are 7-8 and can only finish 8-8 after losing to the Chargers on Saturday. Harbaugh turned the team around after a decade of mediocrity and now he could be on his way out of Frisco, possibly across the Bay.