The Los Angeles Chargers have lured Jim Harbaugh back into the NFL. The franchise has hired the head coach to lead the organization following the in-season firing of Brandon Staley, the team announced Wednesday, marking a return for Harbaugh to the league after he's spent the previous nine seasons as the head coach of the University of Michigan. As the recently minted College Football Playoff National Champion immerses himself back into the pros, he'll be welcomed back by his brother, Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh.
His new Chargers squad is scheduled to host the Baltimore Ravens at SoFi Stadium at some point during the 2024 season, meaning we will have a Harbaugh Bowl essentially right out of the gate. The exact date for that game will be revealed when the NFL unveils its full 2024 regular-season schedule later in the spring.
They initially squared off against one another back on Thanksgiving during the 2011 season, Jim's first season with the San Francisco. 49ers Baltimore took down the 49ers, 16-6 in that game. Of course, the Harbaugh brothers famously went toe-to-toe against one another in Super Bowl XLVII back during the 2012 season. That marked the first time in Super Bowl history that the game featured two brothers coaching against each other. John Harbaugh's Ravens again got the better of Jim's 49ers squad, 34-31 in that game.
So, if you're counting at home, John is 2-0 against his brother, but Jim will now get a shot to get into the win column in this sibling rivalry this coming season.
Despite the sibling rivalry over a Lombardi Trophy more than a decade ago, both Harbaugh brothers have been extremely supportive throughout their latest championship runs. With the Ravens securing the No. 1 seed in the AFC this season, that freed John to fly down to Houston for the College Football Playoff National Championship to watch as Jim's Wolverines defeated Washington to win the title. Meanwhile, as Jim was going through head-coaching interviews, he also made time to visit Baltimore and watch his brother advance to the AFC Championship this Sunday after taking down the Houston Texans.
Soon enough, however, those hectic schedules will find them on opposite sidelines yet again with a head-to-head matchup that will almost certainly be among the most notable games on the 2024 slate.
