John Harbaugh’s name is back in the Colin Kaepernick conversation, and it comes with the Giants trying to sort out their quarterback picture after Jaxson Dart’s injury.
The renewed buzz traces back to something Harbaugh said years ago. In 2017, during a sit-down with Ian O’Connor of The Athletic, Harbaugh spoke highly of Kaepernick and made clear Baltimore had seriously considered him.
“His talent, and also the fact I had inside information as to who he was from my brother,” Harbaugh said, via Pro Football Talk. “We talked a lot about him, and I’d met Kap many times, had numerous conversations with him because of that.
We talked about it at length as an organization, and we liked the fit. . . . The bottom line is your quarterback has to make plays for you, and Colin Kaepernick proved he could do that.”
That connection mattered because Harbaugh’s brother, Jim, coached Kaepernick in San Francisco from 2011 through 2014. The two went to a Super Bowl together in the 2012 season, then lost to John Harbaugh’s Ravens.
Nearly a decade later, though, the idea of a reunion feels remote. Kaepernick is 38 and hasn’t played an NFL snap since 2016, which makes a Giants pursuit difficult to picture.
Kaepernick has continued to say he is staying ready. He put it this way: “I still train five days a week.
I’m up at 4:30 in the morning doing my training before I go about the rest of my day,” Kaepernick said. “I have to do everything that is in my control to make sure that I’m prepared.”
His career numbers with San Francisco were substantial - 12,271 passing yards and 85 total touchdowns - but that hasn’t led to any real movement from NFL teams. New York does not appear likely to be the exception.
For now, the Giants seem more likely to work with the quarterbacks already in the building or look into trade possibilities elsewhere around the league. Harbaugh’s praise for Kaepernick is still on the record, but the practical path back to the NFL remains as narrow as ever.
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Giants Suddenly Have A QB Opening Worth Watching Closely
Jaxson Darts knee injury has changed the Giants quarterback picture quickly, and it has pushed the team into a familiar kind of midseason search. With Dart expected to miss an extended stretch and possibly the rest of the season, New York is looking at what it can reasonably do behind Jameis Winston, who is now the backup holding the job by default.
Joe Milton III has emerged as a name to watch because the Giants are considering moving the Dallas Cowboys practice squad quarterback onto the active roster. A 2024 draft pick with limited NFL experience, Milton drew attention with a strong preseason, and New Yorks next move could say plenty about how aggressively it wants to address a depth chart that suddenly looks thinner than it did a week ago. [Read more 🡒]
JJ McCarthy Just Got Pulled Into A Surprise Giants Scenario
Jaxson Darts knee injury has created a sudden bit of uncertainty for the Giants, and the timing could hardly be worse. What had been framed as a young quarterback situation now comes with the possibility that Darts recovery might stretch into season-ending surgery, forcing the organization to reassess what the depth chart should look like if the injury sidelines him for a long time.
Into that uncertainty has drifted Minnesota quarterback JJ McCarthy, whose name is now being tied to a possible Giants pursuit as a backup or even replacement option. There has been no public word from the Giants about any interest, and any move would hinge on how Dart heals and whether Minnesota would even be willing to talk, but the injury has at least opened the door to a scenario New York probably did not expect to face this soon. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Suddenly Have A QB Depth Problem Steelers Could Solve
Jaxson Darts knee injury has left the Giants in a difficult spot, and the uncertainty around his return this season only sharpens the concern. For a team trying to keep its quarterback room stable, losing a young passer at this point forces the front office to look at every possible backup plan, especially with the season still hanging in the balance.
Mason Rudolph is one name that naturally comes into the conversation because the Steelers are carrying four quarterbacks on their active roster and he has been viewed as a possible trade candidate. If Pittsburgh decides it can afford to move one, the Giants could be a logical fit as they look to add depth and avoid being caught thin at the most important position on the field. [Read more 🡒]