The San Francisco 49ers are once again in the thick of the playoff race, but that has done little to quiet the swirling rumors of tension between head coach Jim Harbaugh and the rest of the organization. After losing to the rival Seattle Seahawks on Thanksgiving Day, talk surfaced that the 49ers would like to part ways with Harbaugh, preferably by trading him to another organization.

According to media reports, the 49ers will explore trade offers for the head coach again this offseason. They very nearly completed a deal that would have sent Harbaugh to the Cleveland Browns after last season.

Should Harbaugh become available, the Oakland Raiders and New York Jets are both expected to express interest, although it is believed that the Raiders would be the favorite to land the coach.

As it stands currently, Harbaugh has one year remaining on his contract after the current season. Sources say that with another playoff appearance, it is possible that Harbaugh could receive a contract extension, although that seems unlikely given that he has already turned down extension offers from San Francisco.

Regardless of how the situation plays out, the 49ers have stated that they will not seek a resolution to the situation until after the current season ends.

Many believe that the team is still capable of putting together the strong finishing kick that they require to make the playoffs in a highly competitive NFC. Thanksgiving Day loss dropped San Francisco to 7-5 on the year, leaving them in eighth place in the conference. In order to make the playoffs, they need to go at least 3-1 over their last four games, and they may even need to win out.