Jim Harbaugh Closes Door on Colin Kaepernick Coaching for Chargers

As the NFL season nears, the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, Jim Harbaugh, has definitively decided against bringing Colin Kaepernick on board as a coach for this season. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Harbaugh confirmed this week Kaepernick will not be part of the team’s coaching staff.

Jim Harbaugh, the former coach of the Michigan Wolverines and current head coach for the Chargers, has confirmed that despite previous offers, Colin Kaepernick will not join his coaching staff in 2024. Harbaugh, speaking with ESPN, expressed his admiration for Kaepernick but indicated that his coaching team for the upcoming year is already complete.

“Colin won’t be part of the coaching staff, which has been set for this year, nor will he be playing,” Harbaugh stated.

Harbaugh and Kaepernick famously collaborated during their time with the San Francisco 49ers, reaching the Super Bowl together. Although Harbaugh sees coaching potential in Kaepernick, citing his deep understanding of the game and leadership qualities, no role has materialized for him yet.

Harbaugh had revisited the idea of involving Kaepernick with the NFL after taking his new position with the Chargers, given that Kaepernick had been controversially sidelined by the NFL following his anthem protests in 2016. Despite reaching out to Kaepernick earlier in the year and discussing potential opportunities, the plans have not progressed.

Kaepernick, set to turn 37 in November, has been out of the NFL since the protests. The opportunity to reintegrate through a coaching position seems to be his most likely path back into the league, although it will not be happening this season.