John Harbaugh is currently the hottest name in the vacant head coach market. Multiple teams have reached out to him since the Baltimore Ravens parted ways with him. The Cleveland Browns are one of the many possible destinations, but it falls more on the unlikely side. After a recent report, that might change.

According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, there seems to be a “real and mutual interest between Harbaugh and the Cleveland Browns.”

That is great news for the Browns fans. Understandably, the interest was always supposed to be real. The idea that the interest runs both ways is what changes the tone.

Of course, they are not alone in this. Harbaugh is expected to start setting his interview schedule for the week, and around the league, teams are already adjusting their calendars to fit around him. That just tells you how difficult it would be for the Browns to lure him their way, despite the mutual interest.

There are eight head-coaching vacancies right now, including the Ravens’ own opening after they fired Harbaugh last week following nearly two decades in charge. With the wild-card round still unfolding, that number could grow. Most teams with an opening are expected to at least make the call. Not all of them, though, will hear what they want to hear.

Sources familiar with the process believe Harbaugh’s top preferences are the New York Giants and the Atlanta Falcons, in some order. Those same sources place the Titans just behind them. But another league source insists Cleveland belongs in that conversation as well. Not just as a suitor, but as a destination that Harbaugh is seriously considering.

All that interest in Harbaugh isn’t surprising. Harbaugh may have fallen short of expectations in Baltimore at times, but he’s a winner. He’s achieved a 193–124 record, a .609 winning percentage, 13 winning seasons, six AFC North titles, and a Super Bowl ring. He sits 12th all-time in wins among NFL head coaches.

If the Browns want to move from “interested” to “chosen,” there’s work to do. Quarterback is the obvious starting point. Cleveland also has to sort out its defensive coordinator situation, but the bigger question is under center. They have to decide whether to make Shedeur Sanders their future or reset the position again.

In Baltimore, Harbaugh coached a two-time MVP in Lamar Jackson. It’s reasonable to assume he’d want a young quarterback with real upside wherever he goes next. The Giants can point to Jaxson Dart. The Titans have Cam Ward. The Falcons have Michael Penix Jr. The Browns, if they want Harbaugh, can’t afford to sound uncertain at the most important position on the field.

And while the mutual interest is good news, there’s some more.

John Harbaugh’s $20 million rumors put to bed

Around the league, John Harbaugh has long carried the reputation of a coach who likes a clear lane. He’s comfortable being in charge, and he’s never been shy about wanting structure and authority around him. So once he was suddenly on the market, some of them painted his expectations as sky-high and almost unworkable. But a credible source put a full stop on that narrative.

According to Jonathan Jones, the rumors of Harbaugh’s far-reaching demands are inaccurate. He made it clear that after everything the HC has achieved, he will still look for a sizable salary and at least some say in roster decisions. But anything more than that is not something that he is asking for.

Just days earlier, longtime NFL and Browns analyst Tony Grossi reported a much more aggressive wish list. That version entailed a $20 million annual salary, a $10 million budget for his coaching staff, full authority over roster decisions, and even the power to select his own GM.

To be fair, some around the league argued that if anyone could credibly ask for that kind of control, it might be Harbaugh, given what he accomplished in Baltimore over nearly two decades. Still, for a coach coming off a firing, that level of authority always felt like a stretch.