Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh offered Colin Kaepernick a coaching job in January, but his former coach said that he won't be a part of the staff this season. To make things even clearer for many people who are wondering, Kaepernick won't be playing on the roster either.
“I love Colin, but he's not going to be on the coaching staff, which is set for this year. And he's not going to be playing on the roster either,” Harbaugh said to reporters after practice.
Harbaugh coached Kaepernick during their time on the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2014. They led the 49ers to the Super Bowl in 2012 but lost to the Baltimore Ravens. Both have kept in contact since being together, and Harbaugh has always had respect for Kaepernick's football mind.
“I have thought that for a long time. Just the respect that I have for the football mind he has and the football man that he is,” Harbaugh said. “[Late Raiders owner] Al Davis saw something in me that made him think I would be a good coach, and I see those same qualities in Colin. If it is something he chooses.”
Colin Kaepernick still wants to play in the NFL
Colin Kaepernick hasn't played in an NFL game since Jan. 1, 2017, after he started kneeling during the national anthem to protest social injustice and police brutality. He and his former teammate, Eric Reid, sued the NFL for colluding to keep them out of the league for kneeling during the anthems, and in 2019 they reached a settlement.
Kaepernick told reporters recently that he still wants to play in the NFL, and he still is doing the necessary things to stay in shape.
“It's something I've trained my whole life for, so to be able to step back on the field, I think that would be a major moment, a major accomplishment for me,” Kaepernick said. “I think I could bring a lot to a team and help them win a championship.
“We're still training, still pushing. We just need one of these team owners to open up.”
It's uncertain if Kaepernick will ever suit up for an NFL team again, but there's a chance that he can be on Harbuagh's coaching staff in the future. Harbaugh hired some of his former players on his coaching staff this season such as NaVorro Bowman, Jonathan Goodwin, and Will Tukuafu.
Harbaugh is back in the NFL after coaching the Michigan Wolverines and winning the CFP National Championship. He'll be tasked with leading a team that already has the talent to compete but was looking for a new vision after firing Brandon Staley during the 2023 season, and Giff Smith leading the team for the rest of the year.
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