Colin Kaepernick hasn’t played in the NFL since 2016, the year he began to kneel during the national anthem. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback has maintained that he is ready and willing to play for another team.
Kaepernick opted out of his deal with the Niners after that year, when it became clear that he would be released. When no other team signed the quarterback, who guided his team to the 2012 Super Bowl, he accused the NFL of collusion. The two sides settled earlier this year.
Earlier this year, reports emerged that his agent has been working the phones to gauge interest in the 32-year old QB. A few weeks later, Kaepernick’s representation sent out a statement to dispel various notions and false narratives about him.
We’re pretty far into the season, and most teams seem pretty secure with their quarterback situations, but Kaepernick isn’t giving up on the NFL yet. This weekend, he is holding a private workout in Atlanta, with all 32 NFL teams invited to attend.
NFL clubs were informed today that a private workout will be held for Colin Kaepernick on Saturday in Atlanta. Session will include on-field work and an interview. All clubs are invited to attend, and video of both the workout and interview will be made available to clubs.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 12, 2019
In his report for ESPN, Adam Schefter says that there have been some inquiries into Colin Kaepernick’s “current football readiness” from teams.
“Several clubs have inquired as to Kaepernick’s current football readiness and both the quarterback and his representatives have frequently expressed his desire to return to the league.
“The memo, which was sent to NFL teams, says: ‘Earlier this year, we discussed some possible steps with his representatives and they recently emphasized his level of preparation and that he is ready to work out for clubs and be interviewed by them. We have therefore arranged this opportunity for him to work out, and for all clubs to have the opportunity to evaluate his current readiness and level of interest in resuming his NFL career.'”
Given the 2.5 year absence from the NFL, this is a pretty surprising development, but we’ll see what the actual response on Saturday is like.
[ESPN]