Stephen A. Smith has spoken out about Colin Kaepernick’s potential surprise return to the NFL at age 36.
Kaepernick has long wanted to return as a player, but on Wednesday it was announced that the Los Angeles Chargers have offered him the chance to join them as a coach.
Kaepernick is reportedly considering the opportunity offered to him by Jim Harbaugh. ESPN analyst Smith believes he should take it.
“If he (Harbaugh) wants to bring Colin Kaepernick in there, fine. No problem. I think Colin Kaepernick would be a good coach. I think Colin Kaepernick, if he wants the opportunity, should be the coach,” Smith said — but with a caveat.
“What I will say is I don’t want to hear any nonsense about him being the quarterback.
Colin Kaepernick was recently offered a coaching job by the Los Angeles Chargers
Smith believes any talk of Kaepernick returning to the NFL as a player should end
Smith continued, “That ship should have sailed. It not only sailed, it should have sailed. I know some people don’t want to say that, but I will.”
Kaepernick’s NFL career was hampered by his stance on social justice issues. After six years with the San Francisco 49ers, he has not played in the NFL since.
“He’s clearly been blacklisted by taking a knee and calling attention to police brutality and the incivility that black people, minorities in this country, are treated by police officers and things like that,” Smith said of Kaepernick’s absence from the NFL.
“He was shut out. We know that. Nobody walks away from that. It’s absolutely true, and the NFL owners should be ashamed of themselves,” Smith continued. “Make no mistake about it.”
“But it’s been eight years … and if we’re going to talk about Colin Kaepernick, we have to talk about him honestly,” Smith added.
Kaepernick’s last NFL workout was with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022.
With teams looking for significant quarterbacks, it’s unlikely they’ll sign one at age 36.
When you factor in Kaepernick’s long absence and his past, the chances of him ever playing in the NFL again seem slim.