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John Harbaugh has known Colin Kaepernick for many years, having coached against the elusive quarterback in Super Bowl XLVIII while also gaining an inside perspective from his brother, Jim, during his time coaching the San Francisco 49ers. On Thursday, John Harbaugh was asked about Kaepernick with the Ravens experiencing a potential need to bolster their quarterback position in lieu of starter Joe Flacco dealing with a back injury.
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Flacco will miss at least the start of training camp, according to multiple reports, with backup Ryan Mallett and Dustin Vaughan serving as the only other quarterbacks on the Ravens' roster.
"I've known Colin through my brother for many years. And we talked and then got to know him very well when he scrimmaged here. He and I have been talking throughout the summer a number of times," Harbaugh said. "We had some great conversations on the phone and it's really been a pleasure to talk to him and get to know him.
"I like history and politics too, and we've had some debates, and it's been fun. And he's a great guy. He's a guy right now that's being talked about. We'll just see what happens with that. Only speculation right now. He's a really good football player and like I said, I do believe he'll be playing in the National Football League this year."
Kaepernick has been a man without a team since early March after opting out of his contract with the 49ers. The 29-year-old's unemployment has sparked conversation as to whether he is being blackballed for his decision to kneel during the national anthem during games to raise awareness for social injustices.
Harbaugh disputed the idea of Kaepernick being blackballed, however.
"Everybody respects everybody else's opinion on politics," Harbaugh said. "It's not going to impact how somebody plays. I'm not going to play better or worse because this person believes this or that."
Harbaugh said in May that he expected Kaepernick to latch on to an NFL club.
"I absolutely think he's going to get signed," Harbaugh said at the time during the NFL owners meetings. "He'll probably be starting somewhere next year at some point in time during the season. ... Someone is going to sign him and he'll play in this league probably for a long time."
Should Kaepernick join the Ravens, he would be reunited with Greg Roman, the offensive coordinator he first played under in San Francisco.
Kaepernick passed for 2,241 yards with 16 touchdowns and four interceptions while fumbling a career-worst seven times with the 49ers last season. He also ran for 468 yards and two touchdowns.
In six NFL seasons, Kaepernick has passed for 12,271 yards with 72 touchdowns and 30 interceptions, adding another 2,300 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground.
Kaepernick started the 2016 campaign as the 49ers' backup behind Blaine Gabbert before taking over as the starter on Oct. 16.
With Kaepernick under center, the 49ers lost nine straight and 10 of 11 overall to finish the season with the second-worst record in the NFL at 2-14.
