The Los Angeles Chargers officially hired Jim Harbaugh on Wednesday, and Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio believes that Colin Kaepernick could join him in the NFL ranks. Harbaugh, of course, selected Kaepernick in the 2011 NFL Draft, and the two sides had a lot of professional success together, making it to the Super Bowl in 2012 and to the NFC Championship Game in 2013. Kaepernick has not played in the NFL since the league famously colluded to keep him off a roster following his protest of the national anthem. Florio believes too much time has passed for the former quarterback to join the Chargers as a player, but he could reunite with Jim Harbaugh as a coach.
Florio: Colin Kaepernick Could Join Jim Harbaugh In Los Angeles
Florio’s article points out that this is not the first time Jim Harbaugh has tried to bring in Colin Kaepernick as a coach. Two years ago, Harbaugh interviewed for the Minnesota Vikings head coach and reportedly wanted Kaepernick to join the squad as the quarterbacks coach. This obviously didn’t happen, as Harbaugh stayed at the collegiate level, but the fact that Kaepernick was a part of this discussion implies that the former second-round pick is open to coaching.
Last we heard, Colin Kaepernick still wanted to return to the NFL as a player, but those days are likely gone. Even if he hadn’t been blocked by the league, he’s now 36 years old and hasn’t taken a professional snap in over seven years. While he definitely should have had a job in 2017, the fact of the matter is that too much time has passed for him to realistically compete in the NFL again. His playing days are done, but there is no age limit to coaching. For what it’s worth, Jim Harbaugh appears to be one of the few interested in keeping Kaepernick’s playing dreams alive, as he gave Kaepernick a spotlight during halftime of the Michigan spring game.
Is This A Smart Pairing?
For the sake of argument, let’s say that Florio is correct and Jim Harbaugh brings Colin Kaepernick on as the Los Angeles Chargers quarterbacks coach. Would this be a smart hire? While there’s no way to know for sure unless this happens, all signs point towards this being a good decision.
First and foremost, Harbaugh has one of the best track records in the league when it comes to developing quarterback play. When he first joined the 49ers, Alex Smith looked like one of the biggest draft busts in recent memory. However, with just one year of tutelage, the coach had Smith playing like a top-15 quarterback while the team made it to the NFC Championship Game. He also developed Colin Kaepernick himself, as the quarterback entered the league as a high-upside yet underdeveloped passer. After one season on the bench, Kaepernick took the starting job from Smith and took the team to the Super Bowl.
Harbaugh knows how to get the most out of his quarterbacks, and if he believes that Colin Kaepernick knows enough about the fundamentals of the position to be a quarterbacks coach, he’s earned the benefit of the doubt. Additionally, it’s hard to think of a better player to coach than Justin Herbert. The Chargers franchise quarterback is one of the best young passers in the game, both from a traits and fundamentals standpoint. Herbert knows the basics, and it’s possible that an athletic player like Kaepernick could help Herbert find his ceiling.
Main Photo: Kirthmon F. Dozier – USA Today Sports
