It’s that time of year when every time a quarterback gets injured in Training Camp, Colin Kaepernick‘s name pops up. The 36-year-old has not played a down of football since the 2016 season.
However, his best seasons of play came under the tutelage of current Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh, when he was the head guy for the San Francisco 49ers.
After one preseason game, it became fairly clear that it might be time to find a new backup QB behind Justin Herbert. Throughout his time with the Bolts, Easton Stick has shown some promise, but it wasn’t a great sign that Luis Perez, who was signed just last week from the UFL, looked as good, or better, than both Stick and Max Duggan.
Is this an opportunity to bring in Kaepernick to compete for the backup role?
Does Colin Kaepernick Have A Future With The Los Angeles Chargers?
This isn’t an opinion column, so I will leave that analysis up to you, the reader. We do know, however, that Jim Harbaugh has been in contact with Kaepernick, but not for the backup QB role.
Per USA Today Sports, Harbaugh reached out to Kaepernick about a role on his coaching staff.
“If that was ever the path he was to take, I think that would be tremendous,” Harbaugh told USA TODAY Sports. “He’d be a tremendous coach, if that’s the path he chose.”
After training camp last week, Harbaugh said that back when he was hired, he spoke with Kaepernick about joining the Los Angeles Chargers in a non-playing capacity.
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“Yeah, we talked a little bit about it,” Harbaugh said. “He’s considering it. He was out of the country. He said he was going to get back to me. We haven’t reconnected since then. That was early, early in the year.”
If Kaepernick wants a shot back in the NFL, it looks like he has one, just maybe not the one that he wants yet.
He recently told Sky Sports that he still wants to play in the NFL, despite being out of the league for so long.
“We’re still training, still pushing,” Kaepernick told Sky Sports. “So, hopefully. We’ve just got to get one of these team owners to open up.”
If there is any shred of a chance for him to make it back in the NFL as a player, this is probably the last, and only potential option.
Harbaugh has always been a champion for Kaepernick and even hosted a workout for him during a Spring Practice at the University of Michigan. With Justin Herbert injured, and the backup QB situation looking a bit murky, could this be his final shot?
Regardless, if he wants an opportunity back in the league, it sounds like he has an open invitation, even if it isn’t the invitation he is looking for.