Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh still appears to have a close relationship with his former quarterback, Colin Kaepernick.
Harbaugh and Kaepernick spent the 2011-2014 seasons together in San Francisco while they were both with the 49ers.
Earlier this year, Harbaugh spoke with USA Today Sports and revealed that he contacted Kaepernick to explore the possibility of the former NFL quarterback joining the Chargers coaching staff.
Harbaugh said he spoke to Kaepernick shortly after accepting the head coaching job in Los Angeles. In August, Harbaugh confirmed that Kaepernick would not be on staff for the 2024 season.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
“I love Colin, but he’s not going to be on the coaching staff scheduled for this year. And he’s not going to play on the team either,” Harbaugh said after a Chargers practice in August.
CHARGERS’ JIM HARBAUGH ‘DISAPPOINTED’ SUSPENDED NFL STAR DERWIN JAMES: ‘THERE WAS NOT A DEFENSELESS PLAYER’
Kaepernick made an appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” this week, and he clarified whether he had been offered a coaching role.
“That’s not true,” Kaepernick told Fallon. The former Niners star added that he became aware of the situation by checking social media.
“I found out the same way everyone else did, on social media. I was like, ‘Oh, I got a coaching offer.’ No, no coaching offer.”
Fallon then asked Kaepernick if he would be open to coaching in the NFL at some point, but the former quarterback made it clear his football interests remained in the game, not coaching.
“No interest in coaching,” Kaepernick responded. “I need the adrenaline rush that comes from playing and participating, or I think I can make more of an impact in other places with my time.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Nonetheless, Harbaugh remains confident in Kaepernick’s coaching potential and praised the former signal-caller for his “football spirit.”
“I’ve thought that for a long time. Just the respect I have for the football mind that he has and the football man that he is,” Harbaugh said in August. “[Late Raiders owner] Al Davis saw something in me that made him think I would be a good coach, and I see those same qualities in Colin. If that’s something he chooses.”
Kaepernick has not appeared in an NFL game since 2016. However, he has expressed interest in playing for the U.S. flag football team in the Olympics. The sport will be included in the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.
“I hope we get there,” Kaepernick told Sky Sports. “We’ll work on some things, see if we can make it happen. But we’d love to be there.”
Follow Fox News Digital sports coverage onand subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.