Just like several other teams across the NFL, the Atlanta Falcons are vying for John Harbaugh to be their next head coach. Now that Raheem Morris is out, the Falcons have been searching for a lead man that can break their playoff drought, while also capitalizing on the surplus of talent on the roster.
There has been talk about several candidates, especially now that the Dirty Birds are planning to begin the interview phase, but Harbaugh is the likely leader in the clubhouse. However, landing him means they'll have to fend off the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins, which is far from guaranteed.
The Giants have a talented young roster, but their GM is on the hot seat, so the Dolphins are the team to fear. With that said, the Dolphins just found their new general manager in Green Bay's Jon-Eric Sullivan, which means that their GM search could ultimately affect their pursuit of the 63-year-old.
A new GM in Miami: Dolphins are finalizing a deal to hire Packers VP of Player Personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan as their general manager, per sources. pic.twitter.com/okHO5IDs7y
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 9, 2026
It may not seem crucial, but passing over a Harbaugh guy is telling of how the Dolphins view their chances at Harbaugh.
Dolphins' GM hire could tip the scales in the Falcons' favor with the John Harbaugh sweepstakes
Many believed that Los Angeles Chargers' assistant GM Chad Alexander was Harbaugh's preferred general manager candidate, but the Dolphins opted to go in another direction. Alexander has worked with not just John, but Jim Harbaugh too, so those ties are important since he was still passed over.
Perhaps this is just grasping at straws, but it's telling since they seriously considered hiring Alexander to be the GM. Obviously, if Harbaugh is willing to work with Joe Schoen, he may not core about GM selection, but having a head coach and GM who are on the same page is invaluable for a new regime.
Alexander will most likely receive more GM consideration for the Falcons' opening, but it's unlikely they hire him for Harbaugh. As coveted as the Super Bowl-winning coach will be throughout this coaching carousel, hiring the most qualified candidate should be the goal, regardless of connections.
It's unclear if this affects anything on a large scale basis, but I'm curious to see how this could affect Miami's coaching search. Since Sullivan was the VP of player personnel in Green Bay, his strong ties to the organization could see him bring DC Jeff Hafley or Mike McCarthy as his selected head coach.
The Dolphins' roster is also in a state of flux, so it would be surprising to see him take that job over the Giants or Falcons openings. Arthur Blank and company are not out of the woods just yet, but knowing that Miami may not be as committed to Harbaugh as we were led to believe is encouraging.