John Harbaugh revisits 2017 Kaepernick interest
In a September 2026 interview with The Athletic’s Ian O’Connor, New York Giants coach John Harbaugh recalled the Baltimore Ravens’ discussions about signing Colin Kaepernick in 2017. Harbaugh praised Kaepernick’s ability to make plays and said the team had discussed the possibility at length.
Harbaugh’s remarks drew renewed attention after Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart injured his knee against the Los Angeles Rams on September 21. Dart will miss the rest of the regular season, and New York has considered additions to its quarterback group.
Jaxson Dart’s knee injury against Rams
New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart injured his knee on the seventh play of the team’s Week 2 game against the Los Angeles Rams on September 21, 2026. Two Rams defenders hit him during a third-down play at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
The Giants lost 28-6 and fell to 1-1. Dart left the game, underwent further evaluation and was subsequently ruled out for the rest of the regular season.
Dart’s knee injury requires meniscus repair
Jaxson Dart sustained damage to his meniscus, MCL and PCL during the September 21 game against the Rams. Tests showed that his ACL remained intact.
Dart was scheduled for a full meniscus repair at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan on September 25. Reports before the procedure said surgeons would also assess whether his MCL and PCL required treatment.
Dart’s recovery could take months
Jaxson Dart’s reported recovery estimate is 4 to 6 months following a full meniscus repair. The Giants have ruled him out for the rest of the 2026 regular season.
Coach John Harbaugh has left open the possibility of a postseason return if New York qualifies, while stressing that Dart’s recovery cannot be predicted precisely.
Giants turn to Jameis Winston at quarterback
With Jaxson Dart out for the rest of the regular season, the Giants named 32-year-old Jameis Winston their starting quarterback. Winston joined New York in 2025 and signed a 2-year contract extension in September 2026 after earlier stops with Tampa Bay, New Orleans and Cleveland.
Jake Haener moved from the Giants’ practice squad to the active roster on September 26. He has appeared in 8 NFL games and made 1 start, leaving New York with limited starting experience behind Winston.
Jameis Winston’s NFL career by the numbers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Jameis Winston from Florida State with the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. He has since played for Tampa Bay, New Orleans, Cleveland and the New York Giants.
Through the Giants’ first 2 games of 2026, Winston had appeared in 109 regular-season games, completing 60.9% of his passes for 24,903 yards, 156 touchdowns and 114 interceptions. He had made 89 starts.
Kaepernick’s name resurfaces amid QB need
Pro Football Talk analyst Mike Florio raised the idea of the Giants contacting free agent Colin Kaepernick on September 23, 2026, citing New York’s thin quarterback depth behind Winston. Florio noted the Giants have little to lose by giving Kaepernick a workout.
Florio pointed to John Harbaugh’s past praise for Kaepernick as a reason the idea made sense on paper. As of this writing, the Giants have not confirmed any contact with Kaepernick or his representatives.
Inside Harbaugh’s account of the 2017 discussions
In a September 2026 interview with The Athletic, John Harbaugh recalled the Ravens’ interest in Colin Kaepernick after the quarterback became a free agent in 2017. Harbaugh said his brother Jim, who coached Kaepernick with the 49ers from 2011 to 2014, had given him insight into the player.
Harbaugh said Baltimore discussed Kaepernick at length and liked the potential fit. He pointed to Kaepernick’s ability to make plays and to their previous conversations when describing the team’s interest.
Fun fact: Jim Harbaugh, John’s younger brother, now coaches the Chargers, the team he once played QB for.
The Harbaugh brothers’ 2013 Super Bowl
John Harbaugh’s connection to Colin Kaepernick traces back to Super Bowl XLVII in February 2013, when Harbaugh’s Baltimore Ravens defeated Kaepernick’s San Francisco 49ers 34-31. The 49ers were coached by John’s younger brother, Jim Harbaugh.
It remains the only Super Bowl in which 2 brothers faced each other as head coaches. Kaepernick started for San Francisco at age 25, in his second NFL season.
Colin Kaepernick’s numbers with the 49ers
Colin Kaepernick spent his entire NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2016 after the team drafted him in the second round, 36th overall. Over that span, he passed for 12,271 yards with 72 touchdowns against just 30 interceptions.
Kaepernick also rushed for 2,300 yards and 13 touchdowns, setting the NFL record for rushing yards by a quarterback in a single game with 181. He is now 38 years old, having been born on November 3, 1987.
Why Colin Kaepernick left the NFL
Colin Kaepernick began protesting during the national anthem by sitting in August 2016. He began kneeling on September 1 to protest racial injustice. Kaepernick opted out of his San Francisco 49ers contract in March 2017 and has not played in the NFL since the 2016 season.
In October 2017, Kaepernick filed a grievance alleging that NFL teams colluded to keep him off their rosters. Eric Reid, who joined Kaepernick’s anthem protest, filed a separate grievance in May 2018.
Kaepernick’s collusion case ended in 2019
The NFL and Colin Kaepernick reached a confidential settlement in February 2019, ending his collusion grievance against the league. Terms of the deal were never made public, though reports estimated the payout at less than $10 million.
The settlement amount was to be split with former Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid, who filed a similar grievance. Kaepernick earned more than $24 million in salary during his NFL playing career before the settlement.
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Will the Giants actually call Kaepernick?
Colin Kaepernick says he still trains 5 days a week, often starting with a 4:30 a.m. wake-up, in hopes of another NFL opportunity. His last regular-season appearance came on January 1, 2017, in the final game of the 2016 season.
The Giants have named Jameis Winston their starter and moved Jake Haener to the active roster. Coach John Harbaugh has said New York is considering ways to add quarterback depth, including a potential trade. The team has not announced contact with Kaepernick.
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Should the Giants give Colin Kaepernick a workout while Jaxson Dart recovers, or is John Harbaugh better off signing a different backup quarterback? Share your take in the comments below.
This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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