Former San Francisco 49ers star quarterback Colin Kaepernick is trying to make a comeback to the NFL. But despite his relationship with Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh, it doesn’t sound like that return will be with the Chargers this season, whether it’s as a player or a coach.
During a recent interview, Jim Harbaugh indicated that he had been in contact with Colin Kaepernick and spoken to him about possibly stepping into coaching. But Harbaugh has since clarified his comments a bit, making it clear that Kaepernick will not be on their roster or their coaching staff this year.
“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.
But Harbaugh still thinks Kaepernick would make a great coach if that’s what he chose to do with his career.
“I’ve thought that for a long time,” Harbaugh said. “Just the respect that I have for the football mind he has and the football man that he is. I’ve touched base with him several times, back to Michigan days, and when I started putting together the staff here I pulsed his interest — I don’t know how to explain it, Al Davis saw something in me that made him think that I would be a good coach, and I see those same qualities in Colin if it’s something he chooses, if it’s the path he chooses to do.”
This doesn’t mean Kaepernick couldn’t join Harbaugh’s staff in the future. But for now, he will not be coaching with the Chargers.
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