The Atlanta Falcons were the first team to conduct an interview with John Harbaugh, but they won't be the last. He's been taking time to consider what other teams he wants to interview with, but because of his track record, Harbaugh has been asking interested teams for an arm and a leg.
He has taken one virtual According to ESPN Cleveland radio host Tony Grossi, the Super Bowl-winning head coach reportedly has some strict demands for his latest head coaching endeavor, and it's such a doozy that many of requirements are stuff that many teams should not be able to provide.
.@TonyGrossi has found out what John Harbaugh's requirements are to be interested in his next HC job:
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) January 9, 2026
- $20 million per year
- $10 million staff budget
- Total authority over the roster
- Would like to select his own GM
Would you do this if you're the Browns? pic.twitter.com/fvswssVSjF
According to Grossi, Harbaugh's wish list includes four things:
- $20 million per season
- An additional $10 million staff budget
- Total authority over the roster
- The ability to select his own GM
For as good of a head coach as the 63-year-old is, those are some lofty demands. Arthur Blank is one of the best owners in the NFL, but this something even he wouldn't do. The Falcons just hired Matt Ryan as the president of football, so it may not sit well with Harbaugh to report to a rookie executive.
John Harbaugh isn't worth the headache for the Falcons if he is going to keep making outlandish demands
Harbaugh's pedigree speaks for itself. In addition to his Super Bowl ring, he led the Ravens to the playoffs in six of the last eight seasons and 12 times in 18 years. Also he's the only head coach in NFL history to win a playoff game in each of his first five seasons, and would inherit an elite Falcons roster'in a weak division.
There is nobody who will deny that Harbaugh is a fantastic head coach who will have no trouble finding work, but teams are going to start to balk over these demands. The Giants and Titans won't want to fire their GMs, while the Dolphins just hired a new general manager just a few days ago.
Additionally, there have been reports that he desires a destination with stability at the quarterback position. Obviously that's something every head coach hopeful wants, but if he couples all of these demands together, that's something that the Falcons have no business providing after hiring Ryan.
This report has been slightly debunked, but there's still some truth to it. Harbaugh will obviously want some power, and the allure of him bringing some Ravens' coordinators over with him is well worth relinquishing some power, but Blank and Ryan can't sell their souls to bring him to Atlanta.