Jim Harbaugh NFL takes shot down emphatically by Warde Manuel

The college and NFL seasons are starting to die down and with it comes the yearly tradition of talking heads and clickbaiters trying to suggest Jim Harbaugh is leaving Michigan to go to the pros again.

The latest offender came in the form of Hall of Fame wide receiver and Fox Sports 1 analyst Cris Carter, who is also an Ohio State alum. You don’t even need to know what he said to put together the dots here, but here’s the quote for context:

“Watch out for Jim Harbaugh. Because Jim Harbaugh is potentially trying to get his way out of Michigan. I got good sources that are telling me not only Green Bay (Packers), but watch out for the Cleveland Browns. He likes their quarterback situation’s there, and I believe there are front office people in Green Bay who are enamored with Jim Harbaugh trying to get him to come to Green Bay.”

Hilarious. “I got good sources.” Excellent grammar.

Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel was on WTKA on Thursday and was asked abut the baseless and ridiculous rumors.

“I would say consider the source of the comment,” Manuel said this morning on WTKA, via the Detroit News. “Cris is very accomplished in his life, but he went to the school down south. We tend to throw out things like that — sources said, my sources. Listen, I have not missed any sleep. Jim has not said anything to me about it. He’s on the road recruiting, putting great effort in.

“So from my perspective, it has no validity at all. There’s been zero conversations about it. I believe Jim is very happy here. He is working to continue to bring in great recruits here. Preparing to go down to the bowl game at the Peach Bowl and play a very good Florida team.”

Manuel would continue, saying there has not been a single conversation had about Harbaugh exploring NFL opportunities.

“There have been zero conversations about it. I believe Jim is very happy here. He is working to continue to bring in great recruits here,” Manuel said Thursday. “Preparing to go down to the bowl game at the Peach Bowl and play a very good Florida team. His focus, I’ve spoken to him on several occasions in the past week, his focus has only been on the University of Michigan and making us better.

”I don’t give any credence to those comments.”

We go through this ever year. We’ll continue to go through this every year. It’s part of the deal. Some people are in “fine, go” mode as the more seasons go by without a Big Ten title and more, but these rumors continue to be ridiculous and serve no purpose other than to generate clicks. That we’re even addressing here sort of makes us guilty of that, but it is what it is.