Urban Meyer Wants NFL to Suspend Jim Harbaugh Amid Michigan’s Sign-Stealing Scandal

Urban Meyer wants the NFL to suspend Jim Harbaugh as punishment for sign-stealing when he coached the Michigan Wolverines.

Urban Meyer Wants NFL to Suspend Jim Harbaugh Amid Michigan’s Sign-Stealing Scandal

Jim Harbaugh and Urban Meyer (Image via IMAGO)

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Jim Harbaugh led the Michigan Wolverines to their first National Championship title win for the first time since 1997 in 2023. However, the win came into question after the surfacing of a sign-stealing scandal.

Recently, the NCAA imposed sanctions on the Michigan coaching team, staffer Connor Stalions (alleged main perpetrator of the sign-stealing scandal, who was later fired), and Jim Harbaugh. The 61-year-old has been issued a 10-year show cause order.

The sanctions on UM include a fine of roughly $20 million, a four-year probation period, and a 25% reduction in official visits for the 2025–26 season.

Former Ohio State Buckeyes and Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer isn’t satisfied with the outcome. He also questioned the NFL’s stance on the entire matter. Meyer spoke about his predecessor at Ohio State, Jim Tressel, and the scandal that tarnished his legacy in 2010. Meyer said on The Triple Option podcast, via Karl Rasmussen of SI (ht/NBC):

There’s an elephant in the room here that no one’s talking about. When Jim Tressel was fired by Ohio State, and he was given a suspension.

Five Buckeyes players, including quarterback Terrelle Pryor, were suspended after the NCAA found evidence of receiving improper benefits from a tattoo parlor owner in exchange for autographed memorabilia.

Tressel initially denied being aware of his players’ antics. However, he later confessed that he had known about Pryor’s involvement but stayed quiet to protect his and the others’ careers.

The Buckeyes imposed a five-game ban on the accused players and a three-game ban on Tressel, but it was later extended to five upon Tressel’s request. However, mounting pressure from the media and the university led to Tressel’s resignation in 2011.

Despite his departure, Tressel managed to find a job as a consultant with the Indianapolis Colts. Meyer added:

Roger Goodell, Commissioner of the National Football League, came out and said that we’re going to honor that suspension… The Colts, because of the respect they had for the NCAA and the suspension, suspended Jim Tressel, so he was unable to perform his duties for the first six games of the year.

Even though Meyer never said it out loud, he was clearly targeting the NFL for not taking any action against Jim Harbaugh. Silence isn’t exactly a good look for Goodell and the NFL, considering they have already set a precedent in the past. Harbaugh can’t return to college football for the next decade. Perhaps he can follow the same path as former Patriots boss Bill Belichick.

Before venturing back to college football, he must complete his goal of winning the Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Chargers. He came close to securing his first ring in 2012 as the coach of the San Francisco 49ers. However, he suffered defeat against the John Harbaugh-led Baltimore Ravens.

Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers are looking solid

Harbaugh is looking to improve on last year’s wild-card exit. A dominating victory of the Detroit Lions in the Hall of Fame game signaled the Chargers’ intent.

Urban Meyer Wants NFL to Suspend Jim Harbaugh Amid Michigan's Sign-Stealing Scandal
Jim Harbaugh (Image via IMAGO)

They followed the win over the Lions with a crushing victory over the Saints. In both games, Trey Lance, whom the Chargers signed in the offseason, looked incredibly sharp.

Justin Herbert played a handful of snaps in their second preseason game against local rivals the Rams. Despite another noteworthy performance from Lance, the Chargers accepted defeat by just one point. For their third and final preseason game, the Chargers travel to the Bay Area to play against the San Francisco 49ers before facing the Kansas City Chiefs in Brazil.

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