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After a week of speculation, it turns out there is some interest in a Carolina Panthers-Jim Harbaugh pairing. But that interest may be a bit more one-sided than many would’ve believed.
On Sunday morning, CBS Sports lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones noted that it was Harbaugh’s side—not owner David Tepper’s—who initiated the reported conversation between the two men. FOX Charlotte’s Will Kunkel was the first to report on the discussion about the team’s head-coaching job on Tuesday.
“Sources tell CBS Sports that Harbaugh — or his representation — had been calling Tepper with some regularity in recent weeks,” Jones writes. “Tepper eventually held a conversation with Harbaugh, but it was never characterized as a job interview for the permanent head coaching job in Carolina.”
Jones added that interim head coach Steve Wilks will, of course, be considered for the gig. Some outside challengers to the position may include three current offensive coordinators—with Buffalo’s Ken Dorsey, Dallas’ Kellen Moore and Detroit’s Ben Johnson of particular note.