Colin Kaepernick’s return to the NFL as a player has faced obstacles for nearly ten years, but there may be an opportunity for him to re-enter the league as a coach. Jim Harbaugh, the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers who previously guided Kaepernick to a Super Bowl with the San Francisco 49ers, expressed to USA Today his desire to have Kaepernick join his new coaching staff.
“If that was ever the path he was to take, I think that would be tremendous,” Harbaugh stated. “He’d be a tremendous coach if that’s the path he chose.”
Kaepernick, once a standout quarterback for the Nevada Wolf Pack, has not played in the NFL since 2016, his sixth season in the league. During that season, he started 11 games and completed 59.2 percent of his passes, amassing 2,241 yards, 16 touchdowns, and four interceptions. He also contributed on the ground with 468 rushing yards, averaging 6.8 yards per carry and scoring two touchdowns, resulting in a quarterback rating of 90.7, which ranked him 17th in the league.
Since then, Kaepernick has not received any offers to return as an NFL quarterback, largely due to his decision to kneel during the national anthem in 2016 as a protest against police brutality targeting minorities. Despite his attempts to return to the league, including a tryout with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022, Kaepernick has yet to secure a contract.
Harbaugh mentioned that he reached out to Kaepernick about a non-playing role on the Chargers’ staff shortly after being hired in January, but there has been no further progress on that front.
“Yeah, we talked a little bit about it,” he said. “He’s considering it. He was out of the country. He said he was going to get back to me. We haven’t reconnected since then. That was early, early in the year.”
Harbaugh was the coach when the 49ers drafted Kaepernick in the 2011 NFL draft. Kaepernick became the starting quarterback in 2012, leading the 49ers to the Super Bowl, where they lost to the Baltimore Ravens. He also guided the team to the NFC championship game in 2013, but after an 8-8 season in 2014, Harbaugh left to coach at Michigan, and Kaepernick’s career took a downturn.
“He’s one of my favorite players that I’ve ever coached,” Harbaugh remarked. “Love Colin.”
In 2019, Kaepernick settled a collusion case against the NFL, with the terms remaining confidential. He recently told Sky Sports that he still hopes to play quarterback in the NFL.
“We’re still training, still pushing,” he said. “So, hopefully, we’ve just got to get one of these team owners to open up. It’s something I’ve trained my whole life for, so to be able to step back on the field would be a major moment, a major accomplishment for me. Also, I think it’s something I could bring a lot to a team and help them win a championship.”
Harbaugh voiced his support for Kaepernick, stating that the NFL should be ashamed of how Kaepernick’s career ended and that he should be welcomed back into the league.
“I see him as a hero,” Harbaugh said. “Heroes get no days off. And he’s being a hero right now and he’s not getting any days off. It’s not for me to choose what path he takes. That’s his decision.”