Jim Harbaugh could be lucrative coaching free agent

Colin Kaepernick got paid, but the guy who drafted him, Jim Harbaugh, has not. It’s an awkward situation and confusing dichotomy, because Kaepernick settled and Harbaugh won’t. There’s definitely no hard feelings between Harbaugh and his quarterback. But Harbaugh wants to get paid, plain and simple. Unfortunately, he’s going to have to wait — perhaps, quite some time. Contract negotiations between Harbaugh and the 49ers are still stalled.

Pro Football Talk‘s Mike Florio explained that the ball lays in Harbaugh’s court. Apparently, he wants to get paid like a coach that’s won the Super Bowl. Harbaugh has always been confident in himself. And it is justified. Harbaugh could leave the team in 2015 when his contract ends. At that point, he would be a coaching free agent. Teams have traded loads of draft picks for coaches in you-name-the-price type deals. Imagine if the price was just that: a price. Teams and owners could spend any price. There’s no salary cap for coaches. The short supply and incredible demand for a coach like Harbaugh could drive his price to NASA heights.

The 49ers no doubt understand Harbaugh’s potential earnings. But it’s a rare situation that must be handled carefully. The longer they wait, the bigger the elephant in the room becomes. They will likely find some sort of middle ground soon, but Harbaugh’s camp needs to back down just a little. Otherwise, the 49ers will have a lot more to worry about than whether they can return to the Super Bowl. In fact, if they can’t figure out Harbaugh’s contract, they can kiss their Super Bowl hopes goodbye.