Colin Kaepernick's possible return to the NFL was raised Thursday when the Los Angeles Chargers hired Jim Harbaugh as their next head coach, replacing Brandon Staley.
NFL insider Mike Florio wondered if Kaepernick could join Harbaugh's coaching staff in Los Angeles. Florio pointed out the pair's history with the San Francisco 49ers and Kaepernick's 2022 appearance during the Wolverines' spring game.
He also cited reports from 2022 that suggested Harbaugh was going to make the move if he accepted 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 hoping to jump into a job like that.
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San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman looks at the scoreboard in the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego on September 20, 2009. (Mark J. Rebilas/USA Today Sports)
“Absolutely not. And I think it would be a horrible decision,” said Merriman, who is preparing for Lights Out Xtreme Fighting 14 next month in Long Beach, California. “There are a lot of people out there who put in the time and effort and wait in line for those jobs and there are more people qualified for those jobs.
“And to jump over everyone else who dedicated their time and energy to staying in line and moving up would simply be a slap in the face to everyone who has committed to raising the bar.”
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Kaepernick recently endorsed his former coach before Harbaugh decided to take the Chargers job.
“Harbaugh is the coach you call when you want to compete for a championship. Period,” 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 love him then, I love him now and I always will,” Harbaugh said. “I hope he gets a chance. I hope he gets a chance to play again and he plays. It's just my personal opinion on that.”
Colin Kaepernick interacts with Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh during a pitching exhibition at halftime of the Michigan spring football game at Michigan Stadium on April 2, 2022, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Jaime Crawford/Getty Images)
Kaepernick has maintained that he remains ready if an NFL team comes calling. It's unclear if he would like to become a coach in the league.
He played for Harbaugh from 2011 to 2014. The two captured two NFC championships and won one. The team nearly defeated the Baltimore Ravens in the 2013 Super Bowl. Kaepernick looked to join the New York Jets early in the 2023 season after Aaron Rodgers suffered an Achilles injury.
Kaepernick has not 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 went 1-10 in Kaepernick's 11 starts.
Since then, Kaepernick has been at the forefront of social activism, calling for police and prison abolition, as well as comparing the NFL Draft to a slave auction. He accused NFL owners of kicking him out of the league, and after the two sides reached a deal, his two tryouts to scouts failed to land him a contract with any team.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh of the San Francisco 49ers shakes hands with Colin Kaepernick during warmups prior to 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 also told NPR in May that he hasn't seen any “substantial changes” in the NFL when it comes to the league addressing social injustice.
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