FIRST TAKE | "DAMN" - Stephen A. Smith on Jim Harbaugh offer Colin Kaepernick as Chargers QB coach

begins in LA and his college days might be over but he isn't done recruiting offering his former quarterback in San Francisco Colin Kaepernick a coaching job Kaepernick has not played in the NFL since 2016 after he sparked controversy by sitting then kneeling during the national anthem before games to protest the police shootings of black men and other social injustices faced by the black community Jim Harbaugh has expressed high regard for coling Kaepernick's potential as a coach noting he'd be a tremendous coach if that's the path he chooses he mentioned that Kaepernick is considering coaching but added that they haven't had further discussions on the matter since their initial talk earlier in the year the party continues Micha leaves Nicole Brisco hi guys this is so fun to be on TV with you of course this girl my girl Kimberly and I got sa back in New York city so I'm a happy camper thank you guys for being here glad to be having us all right um essay what do you think this is interesting do you think cap should take the Chargers coaching job he better if he wants to be in the NFL he better do it uh because this is it for him you know when he years ago when he took a knee and he was protesting we all supported him and he was certainly right to do so it was in his right that his American citizen to do so and the way the whole narrative was hijacked as a story for another day but it was hijacked and it made it into something far more political than it should have been nevertheless ultimately he was ostracized because of that and I thought that was wrong what I thought was right was when his he refused to show up for that workout where 26 teams showed up to evaluate him when the NFL Rock Nation with Jay-Z and all of those guys orchestrated that for 26 NFL teams to show up with talent evaluators scouts player Personnel directors Etc 18 to 19 of whom were African-American by the way and they showed up and he decided at the last minute to go to some place an hour and 20 minutes away M at a high school football field I said at that moment in time it is over clearly he wanted to be a m more than a football player I said it then I meant every word of it nobody's backing up from that statement and I thought that was it here's where things get interesting now Jim Harbaugh has major clout he's an elite football coach he's a reigning National Champion to the University of Michigan that has now come back to the NFL after doing an outstanding job in the NFL as a coach of the San Francisco 49ers clearly the franch guys as his in Los Angeles with the charges and if he has the power to bring him on as a coach who's to say that he's going to be Deni the opportunity to look at kaic and say you say you could still play okay Justin Herbert's our quarterback but if you think you can make some contribution on the football field as a quarterback let's say for example if Justin Herbert gets hurt or something like that if you have him on your staff as a coach who's to say you're not going to be able to give him an opportunity to play and if Jim har you got to be in football shape St I agree that I agreeing out working out gives him the opportunity is all I'm saying just took the twist I wasn't expecting is all I'm saying that's what I'm saying that's all I mean by that okay if I'm going to follow this logic here he better take this coaching job so he could be closer to the NFL but he could be with Harbaugh as a coach and then segue into being a player I'm saying I'm saying I don't I don't think it's going to happen because he's been gone so long I'm just saying there's nothing that's stopping if you get him in as a coach in the NFL there's nothing stopping you from ultimately putting him back on the field if you think he could do it and if he thinks he could do it because carbo would have that kind of we've seen aotter trick plays we've seen otter trick plays like if you bring him in and he's in your organization and now you see him working out because this is a guy who has said for a long long time I still want to help a team I still want to help a team win a championship and he's still been working out I'm not saying at 36 not having been in the game for what8 years I think it's like the entirety of my youngest daughter's life not saying it's it's a good idea but I mean we've seen weirder things happen no no no again Aaron Rogers is a New York Jet so yes we've seen weird things happen in the NFL right but my question when I heard this question asked should he take the job as a coach my thing is does he want to even be a coach and what you just laid out is a a scenario where via being a coach he can do this and be back on the field then I don't want him as a coach sign him as a player like like if that's what the ultimate goal is he thinks he can still play it's been eight years8 years ago people didn't want him MH now 8 years later he's older and and and you made a great Point people in the NFL believed he wanted he wanted to be a martyr more than be a football player so I don't like the idea of Kaepernick as a player now I don't I don't I have a lot I want to say to you but I want you to get it here's here's my thing about Colin Kaepernick what happened to him is one of the worst travesties we've ever seen in American Sports number one number two from him I understand why even going back to that workout you were talking about he didn't like the things that they were trying to put on him in terms of parameters he's like no they're trying to they're trying to screw me again I'm not going to I'm not going to fall for oky do I'm goingon to go do something else I understand why he did it and I don't necessarily even blame him for feeling that way that's my point all right now now it gets to the question of him and the NFL does he feel as if he needs the NFL in his life currently for any type of validation or anything I believe that answer is no so then it goes back to your point himim does really want to coach I think if he really wants to be a part of teaching young men and having an influence on the Next Generation I think having this position only helps what he's trying to do off the field because of the direct access he has to young people if that's the goal that's what he wants because his stance has always been I want to since he's been out I want to help a team win a championship if that is your stance then get back in the NFL in whatever capacity you this is a guy who a leader he's obviously going to stand up for what he believes in he's obviously going to support you so why wouldn't you want this guy in the locker room why wouldn't you around him you're young guy are let me go back to a couple of points that you all brought up we can understand his trepidation about signing the waiver years ago exactly but the reality is is that you had sued the NFL beforehand M and reached a settlement most people that you Sue and you reach a settlement with not looking to go work for again he was and so because he was the NFL cuz I remember at that time I'm on the phone that morning half hour before First Take comes on the air I'm on the phone with general counsel their exact words and they told me to quote them you damn right this a different waiver we we're not a team usually teams individual teams bring you in for a workout we've never conducted a League wide workout in our life and so because of that the waiver that we're putting forth from him especially the fact that he just finished suing us we're trying to protect ourselves so they were Unapologetic about it they made that very clear so that's the point with that in the end what I'm pointing to Colin Kaepernick has stated he wants to return to the NFL that's the that's what we've been hearing and I'm saying if you want to return to the NFL this is it J Jim Harbaugh guy is that's your guy and here's the thing Jim Harbaugh might be the only coach in the league willing to do it because of their history and and and he doesn't have to worry about listen if he's doing it clearly he got the okay from the owners because you know this better than me there is no other owner that is given that okay so I'm just curious I just want to back this up so you're thinking that his thought process is let me get my foot in the door as a coach and then I'm going to become a quarterback like that's the end game no I'm not thinking he's thinking that I'm saying if all of this noise that's been percolating about Colin kapnick should be in the NFL Colin kapnick should still play if you want to disrespect NFL players like that by being gone for eight years and thinking that somebody could walk in after an eight-year absence and compete with today's players be my guest I'm saying based on all that is transpired if indeed he wanted to get back in the league in any capacity this is the way to do it and once he's there we can't put anything Jim har took it more as it's the love of the game right it's the Love of the Game I want to be a part of the NFL that's my guy and and Harbaugh's looking at it as he can add real value to my locker room I'm saying I'm I'm saying we don't know what harbar mind would come up with because he's such a brilliant coach that can figure out different ways to utilize anybody he is the kind of person I'm just I I feel like Are we almost hold on one second Are we almost disrespecting NFL I just finished saying that NFL players I just finished saying that no well some of these backups I don't I don't I don't know some of these backups right now being go into a workout and necessarily beat Colin Kaepernick some of them like Sam darnold is a legitimate option for the Vikings right now do you mean to tell me that Colin Kaepernick even after not playing for eight years Colin Kaepernick isn't a better option for some of these people defitely tell you that Sam darn is a better option I don't believe he better op and Scouts who will everyone will and there are maybe not Sam darnold but there are others as backup quarterback options like if you are desperate for a quarterback and you have him in your locker room that is the point let me ask y let me ask everybody this question let me ask including you Molly let me ask everybody this question including now I'm asking simple question can anybody stand up here right now and definitively rule out that even after an 8year absence if Jim Harbaugh had Colin Kaepernick on his coaching staff Jim harbar wouldn't take a look in the and if you you keep it in shape 36 years of age right you keep you you've been taking how many years since he played eight I think like eight I'm saying I'm asking you know what I was doing eight years ago no no this not about you I'm asking you a question I was little Molly know what I was doing I'll tell you exactly what to do I was little Molly leaving NFL Network in California scared on set with you and Skip bis okay that was eight years ago and look at me nowator okay Stephen I'll give you that I will say I can't 100% roll and I'm not knocking Colin Kaepernick and Colin Kaepernick's Talent by any means at all whatsoever it's because he wasn't allowed to play eight years of not playing football CH good is there's any chance that Jim Harbaugh thinks this guy could still play right why would you hire him as a coach yeah I totally agree with that that like that is what I'm missing from this whole conversation not the master plan not the master hold it's not the master it's an easy answer it's a hell of a lot easier to get him in as a coach if you're already in the building you're in the building you're in the building it's when we when we talk to there's a lot of people even it's like being in the building it's like okay right now you're you're going know sweeping up the floors and then you're the Jan and then the next day you're G to come on TV understand the logic understand the logic completely if Harbaugh said we're inviting if if Barb said we were inviting Colin Kaepernick to try out for a backup quarterback position it would be way more fervor behind that if he said I'm going to bring him onto my coaching staff I'll give you better analogy in the building in the NFL we've had now I'm not comparing the talent we've had Josh maau go from playing in the NFL to being a coach and when he's on that staff they're not saying you know what Josh oh you missed something this man was coaching high schools in the Texans tried to offer him that coaching job yes yes yes we're talking about going from being a coach to being a player like going back so maybe we should get like Dave McKinnon or Cassandra Khan one of The Producers maybe they could should fill in for you sure yeah they should take a producer job and then maybe you know in our business you produce and you could in our business there have been times where producers have had to go on air to report live information based on breaking news that happen and the only reason they were there because they were in the building Doug fluty and Chad Henny both went longer than what Kaepernick has been out I'm not saying it's an ideal situation and I'm not even saying that when they came back there were even shells of them their former s but they did go longer than the Gap that we're currently talking about between Kaepernick and what it if he made it to the F my only reason for bringing up the point is this is Jim Harbor we're talking about so nothing the table off the table that's all I'm trying to say if you're were trying to make a transition to do it nothing's off the table him easier than brought him out there to training camp I would think Jim Harbaugh would say I believe in this guy as a player I've seen him we've talked I want him on this rostering himo still hadn't worked he was trying to support pushing he was behind C supporting right now I would rather Jim Harbaugh say definitively I want him as a player don't do this whole coaching thing that to me is a waste of time that's going to grab more naysayers that's going to be more are we are we talking football now we scared about what people are going to say if that's what you believe 100% listen you're a soap opera star these conspiracy conspiracy theories are right up your alley so I'm just not I just hope Colin Kaepernick takes this opportunity because he wants to be a coach that's it that's saying he can continue what his real work is at a different capacity influencing young can I give scenario can I let me give you a scenario let me crystalize talk to me he comes in as a coach hypothetically he comes in as a coach he comes as a coach he run the bo okay Justin Herbert gets hurt yes yeah Justin Herbert this is what she does this is what she does take the wh take the whistle Justin her gets hurt Justin Herbert gets hurt all of a sudden you got people working out and practice meanwhile cuz you know this you know this you got coaches all the time what are they doing they trying to stay in shape they in the gym they doing all of this other you looking at cck you look he look he throw he playing around he playing around and practice he throwing he flinging the football 50 yard something like going like this well damn we got one right here going to have more faith in hand in in some other backg it's not farfetched it's not nearly as farfetched as feel to Kim I think Kim doesn't like the what network what network I don't like the messiness of it either because I feel like it's a it's a two question thing what Stephen A presented was like the the the mashup of Both Worlds and I don't think it's going to be that way that made it real ugly and not at all transparent but if the question is does he still want to be involved in the NFL does he still want to help make a team better does he still want to be in any capacity then yes take the coaching job then yes then take the coaching job because that is your way back in and let's not bring in the player stuff would be not saying take the coaching job to become a player I'm saying anything is anything is possible it might be the Super Bowl Herbert might go down and you never know say that's an exaggeration up on that one on that's the exagger there we go if could be exaggerated you never know if you're you're in the building I'm just saying you never know listen I want the best what whatever he wants I would love to see him take for [Music] youe [Laughter] got to Che [Music] [Laughter] all for in [Laughter] is [Laughter] up [Music] [Laughter] [Laughter] fore [Music] for [Laughter] for [Laughter] for look look [Laughter] is look up [Music] [Music] yeah [Laughter] for for