Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh remains close with former quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
Harbaugh and Kaepernick spent the 2011-14 seasons together in San Francisco, when both were with the 49ers.
Earlier this year, Harbaugh revealed in an interview with USA Today Sports that he reached out to Kaepernick to explore the possibility of the former NFL quarterback joining the Chargers' coaching staff.
Harbaugh said he spoke with Kaepernick shortly after taking the head coaching job in Los Angeles. In August, Harbaugh confirmed that Kaepernick would not be on the staff for the 2024 season.
“I love Colin, but he's not going to be on the coaching staff this year. And he's not going to be on the roster,” Harbaugh said after the Chargers' practice in August.
Kaepernick appeared as a guest on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” this week and revealed whether he had been offered the coaching role.
“That's not true,” Kaepernick told Fallon. The former Niners star added that he learned of the situation from social media.
“I found out on social media like everyone else. I was like, 'Oh, I got a coaching offer.' No, there are no coaching offers. ”
Fallon asked Kaepernick if he would be open to coaching. NFL At one point, the former quarterback revealed that his interest in football remained in playing the game, not coaching.
Kaepernick replied, “I'm not interested in coaching.” “I need the adrenaline rush of playing and being in it, otherwise I think I could use my time to make more of an impact elsewhere.”
Despite this, Harbaugh remains confident in Kaepernick's coaching potential, praising the former signal caller's “football spirit.”
“I've thought that for a long time. I respect his football mind and his football man,” Harbaugh said in August. “[Late Raiders owner] Al Davis saw something in me that made him think I could be a good coach, and I saw the same quality in Colin. If that's what he chooses. ”
Kaepernick hasn't played in an NFL game since 2016.
However, he has expressed interest in playing for the U.S. flag football team in the Olympics.
The sport is scheduled to be included in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
“I think I'll be available if I can,” Kaepernick told Sky Sports. “We're going to work on some things and see if we can get there. But we want to get out there.”
