Colin Kaepernick's possible return to the NFL emerged Thursday as the Los Angeles Chargers hired Jim Harbaugh to replace Brandon Staley as their next head coach.
NFL insider Mike Florio wondered if Kaepernick could join Harbaugh's coaching staff in Los Angeles. Florio pointed to the pair's history with the San Francisco 49ers and Kaepernick's appearance in the Wolverines' 2022 spring game.
He also mentioned reports in 2022 that suggested Harbaugh would be willing to move on if he takes the Minnesota Vikings job.
Former Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman told Fox News Digital that it would be a bad decision given the long line of coaches and former players waiting for such a game.
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San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman looks at the scoreboard during the fourth quarter of a game against the Baltimore Ravens at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego on September 20, 2009. (Mark J. Revillas/USA Today Sports)
“Absolutely not, and I think that would be a horrible decision,” said Merriman, who is preparing. Lights Out Extreme Fighting 14 It will be held next month in Long Beach, California. “A lot of people are putting in the time, a lot of effort, a lot of people are waiting in line for those jobs, and we have the right people for those jobs.
“And to jump ahead of everyone else who has put in the time and energy to still stand in line and persevere would just be a slap in the face to those who have worked to raise the bar.”
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Kaepernick recently supported Harbaugh's former coach before he decided to join the Chargers.
“Harbaugh is the coach you call when you want to compete for a championship. Of course,” he told USA Today.
In 2020, Harbaugh told The Athletic that it was “absurd” that Kaepernick didn't have a job.
“I love Colin. I loved him then, I love him now, and I always will,” Harbaugh said. “I hope he can shoot. I hope he has a chance to play again and he actually plays. That's just my personal opinion on that.”
Colin Kaepernick interacts with Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh during a pitching exhibition at halftime of a Michigan spring football game at Michigan Stadium on April 2, 2022 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Jamie Crawford/Getty Images)
Kaepernick insisted he is always ready if an NFL team comes calling. He's not sure if he wants to be a coach in the league.
He played for Harbaugh from 2011 to 2014. The two appeared in the NFC Championship twice and won once. The team almost defeated the Baltimore Ravens in the 2013 Super Bowl. Kaepernick was looking to join the New York Jets at the beginning of the 2023 season after Aaron Rodgers went down with an Achilles injury.
Kaepernick hasn't played since the 2016 season. His last appearance was on January 1, 2017, against the Seattle Seahawks. He finished the year with 2,241 passing yards, 16 touchdown passes, and four interceptions. The 49ers were 1-10 in Kaepernick's 11 starts.
Since then, Kaepernick has spearheaded social activism, calling for the abolition of police and prisons and comparing the NFL Draft to a slave auction. He accused NFL owners of excluding him from the league, and after the two sides reached a settlement, two tryouts in front of scouts did not result in a contract with a team.
San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh shakes hands with Colin Kaepernick during warm-ups before a game against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium on September 21, 2014 in Glendale, Arizona. (Norm Hall/Getty Images)
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He told NPR in May that he didn't see “significant changes” in the NFL in terms of the league's efforts to address social injustice.
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