Pete Carroll Regrets Not Signing Colin Kaepernick In 2017

The only team to invite Colin Kaepernick for a visit since he became a free agent in 2017, the Seahawks remain tied to the quarterback’s lengthy saga. Pete Carroll now regrets not signing the former 49ers passer then, given the information he now possesses.

The 11th-year Seahawks coach said he views a potential Kaepernick addition then as a missed opportunity “knowing what we know now,” per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link). Carroll said in 2017 he viewed Kaepernick as a starter, and with Russell Wilson in the fold, the Seahawks moved on. It is unclear what salary demands Kaepernick had at that point, and the Seahawks — with Wilson never missing a start — were able to get away with lower-level backup quarterbacks in 2017 and ’18.

Carroll said Thursday he assumed someone else would sign Kaepernick — via Condotta, on Twitter — but until last year’s NFL-organized (then Kaepernick-rearranged) workout, the free agent quarterback did not receive another opportunity.

While the Seahawks’ Wilson-fronted QB structure remains the same three years later, Carroll said the team is not interested in Kaepernick now, Condotta tweets. The Seahawks re-signed Geno Smith earlier this offseason and added Anthony Gordon as a UDFA. Carroll did say he received a phone call Thursday from another team on Kaepernick. This marks the first such call he’s received, per Condotta (on Twitter).

Although Kaepernick had drifted off the NFL radar after his workout last year, numerous players have pushed for him to receive another chance in recent days. George Floyd’s death continues to ignite protests around the world. Teams across the sports world have issued statements denouncing systemic racism, and Roger Goodell made a speech on the subject last week. While the commissioner did not mention Kaepernick by name, the player who started the protest movement in the NFL has naturally been a frequent conversation topic in light of current events.

Kaepernick, now 32, reportedly continues to train for a potential opportunity. After the quarterback settled a collusion grievance with the league and made last-minute changes to a workout invite, it would probably be the most notable free agent addition in NFL history were the former 49ers starter to catch on with another team.

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