Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh recently offered Colin Kaepernick a coaching job with the team, but ultimately decided that Kaepernick would not be on the coaching staff for the upcoming year or playing on the roster. Harbaugh had previously reached out to Kaepernick after being hired as the head coach of the Chargers in January. Although Kaepernick has not reconnected with Harbaugh about the coaching opportunity, the two have a long history as Harbaugh coached Kaepernick from 2011 to 2014 during his time with the San Francisco 49ers.
Despite not pursuing a coaching role with the Chargers at this time, Harbaugh believes coaching could be a great option for Kaepernick in the future and thinks he would be a tremendous coach if he chose that path. Harbaugh and Kaepernick have remained close over the years, with Harbaugh showing his support for Kaepernick’s fight for social justice. Kaepernick has expressed his desire to continue playing in the NFL, stating that he is still training and pushing to be ready for another opportunity. He believes that all he needs is for one team owner to give him a chance to return to the league.
Kaepernick last played in the NFL during the 2016 season when he began to protest racial inequality and police brutality by kneeling during the national anthem. He became a free agent after that season and, along with his 49ers teammate Eric Reid, filed a grievance in October 2017 alleging collusion by team owners to keep them out of the league due to their protesting. The two players reached a legal settlement with the NFL in 2019, with reports indicating that the NFL paid less than $10 million in the agreement. Reid was released by the Carolina Panthers in 2020 after signing with the team in 2018.
Harbaugh coached at the University of Michigan from 2015 to 2023 before being hired by the Chargers, and he has maintained a close relationship with Kaepernick throughout the years. He previously made Kaepernick an honorary captain during a Michigan spring game in 2022. While Harbaugh believes coaching could be a great path for Kaepernick in the future, he has not pursued that opportunity with the Chargers for the upcoming season. Both Harbaugh and Kaepernick have demonstrated their support for each other over the years, with Harbaugh publicly endorsing Kaepernick’s efforts in social justice activism.
