Jim Harbaugh: Colin Kaepernick Won’t Be On Coaching Staff This Year

Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh clarified that Colin Kaepernick will not be on the team’s coaching staff in 2024, despite previously reaching out to him about the possibility.

“I love Colin, and always will, and that gets conflated into he might play here or might coach here. I love Colin, but he’s not going to be on the coaching staff — it’s set for this year. And he’s not going to be playing on the roster either,” Harbaugh said, via ESPN.com.

Harbaugh spoke to Kaepernick several months ago about the possibility and said he was considering it, but hadn’t gotten back to him about the prospect.

“Yeah, we talked a little bit about it,” Harbaugh said, via Jarrett Bell of USA Today. “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 believes Kaepernick would be “tremendous” as a coach if he ever wanted to go that route.

“If that was ever the path he was to take, I think that would be tremendous,” Harbaugh said. “He’d be a tremendous coach, if that’s the path he chose.”

Kaepernick recently told Sky Sports that he’s still hoping for another shot in the NFL, despite being out of the league for several years now.

“We’re still training, still pushing,” Kaepernick said. “So, hopefully. We’ve just got to get one of these team owners to open up.”

Kaepernick, 36, is a former second-round pick of the 49ers back in 2010. He was in the third year of his seven-year, $126.97 million contract that included $61 million guaranteed when he reached an agreement with the 49ers on a restructured deal that allowed him to become an unrestricted free agent in 2016.

The Seahawks showed interest in bringing Kaepernick in for a visit before later canceling the meeting altogether. The NFL set up a private workout for him in 2019 but it didn’t result in a signing. 

The Raiders brought Kaepernick in for a workout a few years ago but ultimately declined to sign him to a contract. He later reached out the Jets, but nothing ever came of it. 

Kaepernick last appeared in an NFL game back in 2016 when he completed 59.2 percent of his passes for 2,241 yards and 16 touchdowns and four interceptions while adding 468 yards rushing and two touchdowns.