Jim Harbaugh wants to hire Colin Kaepernick to the Chargers' coaching staff

Former NFL Colin Kaepernick has made his desire to return to the league clear. In comments published by Sky Sports, Kaepernick said he believes he can still help a team win a championship. The former 49ers quarterback last played in the NFL in 2016. He'll turn 37 in November.

While not necessarily impossible, it feels like the avenues toward Kaepernick potentially returning to play have mostly closed. Eight years out of the NFL is an awfully long time to try to overcome in a potential comeback bid.

However, Jim Harbaugh told USA Today Sports that there's another avenue in which Kaepernick could possibly return. The new Chargers' head coach reportedly wants his former quarterback to join his coaching staff.

"Yeah, we talked 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."

On Kaepernick potentially coaching in the NFL: "If that was ever the path he was to take, I think that would be tremendous. He'd be a tremendous coach, if that's the path he chose."

Colin Kaepernick could be a future coach for the LA Chargers

While it seems like the door has closed on Kaepernick being a member of this years' coaching staff, it appears that Harbaugh's offer still stands for the future.

If the 49ers quarterback were to give up on his return to play bid, it would be a rather natural transition. Harbaugh hired former San Francisco LB NaVorro Bowman as the Chargers' linebackers coach earlier this year. Former Harbaugh-era Niner Will Tukuafu also works with Los Angeles as an assistant coach on the defensive line.

While they don't have permanent positions on the Chargers' coaching staff, Mike Iupati, Dashon Goldson, and Delanie Walker have also been working with the team as interns.

One area that Kaepernick would be helpful with is his prowess in Greg Roman's scheme. While Justin Herbert and the rest of the quarterback room are learning Roman's scheme for the first time, it would be quite the advantage to work with one of the top offensive threats that it ever produced.

Outside of Alex Smith or Lamar Jackson, there's not many former players that can say they're as experienced with Roman's scheme as Kaepernick is. If Harbaugh believes that he has some serious coaching potential, maybe it's an idea that gets revisited down the road in future Chargers' seasons.