AUGUST 16: As expected, Harbaugh confirmed Kaepernick will not be part of this year’s Chargers staff. Although the former 49ers coach has been a consistent Kaepernick backer, he also indicated (via the Associated Press) no playing opportunity will come from the Bolts. The new Chargers HC mentioned he has eyed his former quarterback as a coach dating back to his Michigan days. Seeing as Harbaugh already hired a few of his former 49ers, this is probably a fit to monitor beyond 2024.
“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 of Kaepernick as a coach. “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.”
AUGUST 14: Colin Kaepernick‘s attempt to return to the NFL as a player is almost definitely over. No team signed the former Super Bowl starter during the eight offseasons since his 49ers separation, with a 2022 Raiders workout potentially being the free agent quarterback’s final true tie to a team.
But Jim Harbaugh has long been a backer. The new Chargers HC coaxed by far the best football of Kaepernick’s career, moving him into the 49ers’ starting lineup in 2012 and seeing the elevation lead to a Super Bowl XLVII berth and then another journey to the NFC championship game a year later. As Michigan’s HC in 2022, Harbaugh invited Kaepernick to throw as the Wolverines convened for their spring game. With Kaepernick now 36, Harbaugh is considering him for his coaching staff.
Kaepernick coaching connections have not surfaced, though this would be an interesting way for the former starter to return to the league years after his protest against police brutality and racial inequality keyed an NFL exile. Harbaugh said he has spoken with his former charge about a coaching position.
“If that was ever the path he was to take, I think that would be tremendous,” Harbaugh said, via USA Today’s Jarrett Bell. “He’d be a tremendous coach, if that’s the path he chose. … We talked a little bit about it. 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.”
This conversation took place shortly after Harbaugh was hired in January, Bell adds. The gap here would seemingly pour cold water on the prospect of Kaepernick following former teammates NaVorro Bowman, Jonathan Goodwin and Will Tukuafu onto Harbaugh’s first Chargers staff. Bowman signed on to be the Bolts’ linebackers coach.
It would not appear Kaepernick would have been brought in as QBs coach, as the Bolts made a point to rehire former Justin Herbert mentor Shane Day for that role. The 49ers’ starting center during the early part of Kaepernick’s career, Goodwin joined Harbaugh’s staff as an offensive assistant with an emphasis on QBs. That in itself is an interesting hire, as Goodwin — who last played in the NFL in 2014 — has no prior experience as an NFL assistant or full-time college staffer. It is worth wondering if this was the role Harbaugh had in mind for Kaepernick had he shown interest.
A 2011 second-round pick, Kaepernick arrived during Harbaugh’s first offseason in San Francisco and started 39 games during the HC’s time with the team. Kaepernick’s play declined post-Harbaugh, as the 49ers’ fortunes worsened. In the years since, the former dual threat has obviously been known more for his inability to return to the NFL. Last year, Kaepernick wrote a letter to Jets GM Joe Douglas about a backup gig following Aaron Rodgers‘ Achilles tear.
As of July 2023, Kaepernick was still hoping to return as a player. He appears to still be aiming for a last-ditch re-emergence, telling Sky Sports recently he is still training in hopes one of the league’s owners would sign off on an opportunity. Given how much time has passed since Kaepernick’s March 2017 49ers separation, a return seems unrealistic.
It would, of course, be interesting if Kaepernick abandoned this path and reunited with Harbaugh as a coach. Harbaugh told Bell that Kaepernick’s divisive reputation would not be an issue that impeded a Chargers hire. As of now, it does not look like anything is in motion here.
He will turn it down because he’s delusional and thinks he can still play in the league.
Another option: he’ll turn it down cause he’s not paid like a head coach
He’s better than Nathan Peterman
Even if he was, the only baggage Peterson comes with as a 2 or 3 QB exists within these comments so Kaepernick already lost out. Anyway it’s probably Harbaugh just trying to deflect from the Michigan drama
Peterman won’t piss off half of your fan base.
Are you nuts? Try 99.9% of the fan base. The people watching the game are usually people who love the USA.
Would make a great running backs coach.
Is there a coach for placeholding? They do need to kneel just right…
Coach them on a successful way to end the victory formation.
Like where the QB takes a snap from his knees, I like it
Will root for Chargers to lose every game oh they hire him…racist troublemaker
Why Racist? Why Troublemaker???
He was referring to himself
The only reason he’s saying it because an orange potato told him to
Please don’t, next year all we’ll hear is no one’s giving him a HC job because the man is holding him down. It’s not enough that the Rooney rule is inherently racist.
He’ll hold out for more money and power.
Harbaugh needs to put down the pipe. Goodell and the owners went to a lot of trouble to blackball Kaepernick. Didn’t they pay him a settlement on his collusion case with the condition he go away forever? The last thing the league wants is the fan backlash that would certainly occur if Kappy was allowed back.
Denver tried to trade for Kaepernick immediately in his contract year. They must not have gotten the memo. Kaepernick turned it down. Maybe he was right or wrong to want a bigger contract, but someone did want him as a starting quarterback.
I remember Pete Carroll saying he wouldn’t object to giving Kappy a tryout and a chance to get back into the league but none of the owners seemed to express any interest.
Well, the Ravens also wanted him, but his girlfriend nuked that deal by comparing Steve Bisciotti to a slave owner. The NFL tried to organize a workout for him that multiple teams (including Seattle) were supposed to attend, but he changed the venue as they were showing up and did it on his own without prior warning. Then, as the article said, the Raiders worked him out. If you believe rumors, then Kaepernick apparently told teams that he wouldn’t sign for a backup’s salary or play in the AAFL when it started several years ago, so he clearly still saw himself as a starter and a starter only.
Kaepernick has had opportunities from at least three teams, and possibly a few others, since San Francisco let his contract expire. Denver and Baltimore seemed to be ready to give a roster spot as well, not simply a workout.
Changed the venue without prior warning…lol. Is that why Harbaugh thinks Kappy would be a good coaching candidate?
It was a 3pm workout and at 230 his reps informed the league of a venue change that would start at 4. What part of that statement was incorrect? Would they not have already been at the original venue by 230 only to have an only an hour and a half to leave and arrive at the new one?
Seahawks did give him job interview over two seasons. Did not lead to a tryout with them or any other team.
So he can tell all the players on the team how they’ve enslaved themselves?
If this happens, I might consider abandoning the team even though I’ve been a lifetime fan.
How many Season Ticket holders will ask for Refunds if this happens?
Does anyone truly think Kap will “stick to Sports” once he gets Hired ?
Probably none;remember it is LA and they had Snoop Dog at their draft party a couple of years ago. I wrote the organization a letter regarding the latter and got no response.
I’d love to see Snoop as a coach (but definitely a pass on Kaepernick)
His attempt to return “as a player is almost certainly over.” ???
There’s no “almost.” He has as much chance as anyone in the comments section, including me.
Unlike him I’m pushing 50 and have no delusions that I could be a QB on an NFL team.
The Charger players could sue management for creating a toxic workplace environment
COMMENTS CLOSED
More like closely monitored and selectively deleted.
LMAO
Nationalism is a disease
It would be interesting to see em back in nfl. Think language in nfls NDA settlement w/Colin was don’t comeback. As league the owners paid em pretty penny to go away. Could cause a ruckus in QB room w/social issues. That n his wife wants to be in on decision making.
Spanos is sitting at home having his morning cup of coffee, slowly shaking his head, wiping his forehead, squinting and thinking he hired the wrong head coach.
Winning will fix it all, but somehow I don’t think it’s going to be smooth sailing with Coach Ego and his love for shaking things up that don’t need shaking.
“Al Davis saw something in me that made him think I would be a good coach, and I see those same qualities in Colin”.
Perhaps this would be a good time to remind Jimbo that Al Davis also thought Hue Jackson would be a good coach 🙂
He’d be a garbage coach just like he was a garbage QB
How many players would listen to someone that loves Castro,but hates the police and the USA?Who would listen to someone that hates the NFL and called his adopted parents recists?