Colin Kaepernick is still staying prepared in case an NFL opportunity comes his way. The former 49ers quarterback told Sports Illustrated’s Gilberto Manzano that he’s training at least five days each week with an eye on eventually getting another NFL call.
“I’m going to keep pushing,” Kaepernick says. “I’m going to keep fighting for it because I know I can step on the field and play. Every workout, every opportunity I’ve had to show that, the feedback has always been positive. Everything from, ‘He’s still an elite player,’ to ‘The workout was great; it was better than expected.’
“When I had my workout with the Raiders last year, even training with guys, there’s a decent amount of people who may have forgotten what I was capable of doing on the field, so any chance to be able to remind people of what I can do out there, I look forward to and embrace, and I look forward to the day that I get to step on the field and show people what I can do.”
As Kaepernick noted, he earned his first NFL workout in years when he auditioned for the Raiders in 2022. Ultimately, the team decided to opt for the likes of Jarrett Stidham and Nick Mullens to serve as Derek Carr‘s backup, and Kaepernick found himself questioning the organization’s logic for the moves.
“I’ve heard a lot of excuses over the years,” Kaepernick says, “but most of the time it ends up, ‘Oh, we’re going to see how the guys that we have do.’ With the Raiders’ situation last year, that was Stidham and Nick Mullens, which to me, you just compare résumés and capabilities, on top of the workout and the feedback, it’s like, ‘O.K., cool.’
“Obviously, there’s something else within this decision. To me, that’s typically what it ends up being, or has been for the last seven years. So, I just want the opportunity to come in, show what I can do on the field. Judge me based upon that, not the political bias that you have.”
Despite not getting an offer in Las Vegas, Kaepernick still apparently left a good impression, with some reports praising his arm strength and conditioning. Back at the time, there were rumors that a handful of other teams were also considering bringing in the QB for a visit. However, the 35-year-old hasn’t had any reported visits since that time, and he told Manzano that he doesn’t currently have any scheduled workouts on the docket.
Prior to his visit with the Raiders, Kaepernick hadn’t been on the NFL radar for years. Kaepernick met with the Seahawks in 2017 and threw in front of a handful of NFL personnel at a Georgia workout he reorganized at the 11th hour two years later. The QB hasn’t seen the field for an NFL game since New Year’s Day in 2017, and years later, the NFL settled with Kaepernick (and Eric Reid) on a collusion lawsuit, with the QB claiming he was exiled from the league after his protests of racial injustice during the national anthem.
He is NOT coming back, let it go.
First off, he was never a great QB. Secondly, he’s not worth the baggage he brings with him. Or the headaches he brings.
He sounds like he still hasn’t figured out keeping his mouth shut based on the quotes above. No team is willing to take a chance on this me first type of guy. Go away. Please
He is the definition of a true American patriot.
So is Homer Simpson and I think they are sharing the same brain.
Were gonna keep getting these same articles even after the guy turns 64 years old….
I’d take Stidham 10/10 times. Would I rather have Kaep over Mullens? Absolutely. The main reason he hasn’t made his way back to the league is his ego. Sorry dude your resume isn’t as impressive as you think it is.
There’s guys in the XFL and USFL playing their tails off looking for that chance as well, I’d take one of them over a guy that hasn’t played in so long. Plus he already got his go away payday from the league.
I’d rather the XFLs Ben Dinucci or one of these USFL stars holding down QB2 or QB3.
Kaep would also want a heck of a lot more $ than Mullens.
He shouldn’t cost more than Mullens though, which is why Mullens continues to make NFL rosters and Kaep is sitting at home.
This guy is a joker. If he wanted to play in the league, he would be.
He could play in other leagues and chooses not to. Shows his determination to stand out for NFL teams.
No it shows how clueless he is. No team in the NFL is signing him.
he knows he has no shot
If he is serious about being anything more than an attention whore, he’ll seek a training camp spot to compete for a backup role. I hate to say it, but GB could take a flyer on him for depth. After all, they’ve been managing high ego qb’s for 3 decades.
The problem is Kaep wouldn’t play for the league minimum IMO. He’d want a lot more $ based on his “resume” which has a huge gap.
If he was half as good as he thought he’d be Tom Brady.
Actions have consequences, right? He’ll never play in the NFL again, rightfully so.
Terrible article! It’s literally spreading a false narrative! Regardless in how you feel about him, he himself ruined his last 2 shots. And correct research by the reporter, would’ve found out the Raiders were shocked in how bad he performed and tried to put a good spin on it. Anything and everything out of his mouth dealing with the NFL shouldn’t be news worthy.
No one wants their backup QB to be a circus sideshow. It’s just not worth it. He was offered backup jobs and wouldn’t take them. He wants to be a martyr much more than he wants to be a player.
Amen, brother.
You nailed it. If he shuts up and accepts a contract to be a backup, he loses the media’s attention. As long as he holds out for a contract someone is going to give him the attention he craves.
In other news, I’m staying in shape waiting for a call as well.
I can hold a clip board!
LOL
Bad article. He turned down contracts after his last year
Good lord, this AGAIN??
HAHAHA this guy is delusional.
Why would he want to be treated like a slave?That’s what he said about the NFL yet he still wants to work for them?What a bonehead he is.
I was really against Kaep when he was doing his protests but after all these years and how many racist extremists have been emboldened I kind of get what he was talking about. The last few years have really killed my patriotism so I’m past being bothered by people kneeling during the National Anthem and I’m willing to hear them out. It would be cool if someone gave him a backup job, there are actual terrible people who are allowed in the league, I think we could have a guy with outspoken political beliefs.
Keep yout political beliefs at home, don’t parade them around and disrespect our flag on national TV while you’re at work in hour employers uniform. This is the real problem, the left has become a$$holes.
You mean the same company that’s plastered his exact message all over the endzones, the players helmets, and all over commercials? Kaep just got all the hate for something that most of the players support, that the league outwardly supports, and the only reason Kaep was never given a chance was because nobody wanted to upset the racist part of their fanbases. Kaep could have handled a lot of things better but let’s not pretend that right wing “patriots” had a problem with him expressing his free speech and teams didn’t want to offend those sensitive parts of their fanbases.
That’s your first problem, is assuming anyone who disgarees with you is a racist. Kaep wasn’t given a chance because actions have consequences. When you piss off half your customer base, you’re probably not going to get hired anywhere. Not to mention his last 2 seasons his posted a sparkling 43 and 49 QBR. He sucked as a NFL QB.
If you think the league actually cares about his message, that’s your second problem.
Your third problem is if you hate the US so much, feel free to leave.
Plus3- He wasn’t blackballed for causing “half the customer base” to get their panties in a bunch, he was blackballed because he was a terrible QB.
Plenty of players took a knee/spoke out against racism and retained their jobs. Get a grip.
If half your customer base gets pissed off at a man exercising his first amendment rights to free speech maybe they’re too sensitive to take seriously. And yes he wasn’t great but neither are most backups, I mean Nathan Peterman still has a job. I don’t hate the US, I’m just ashamed we’re so backwards, we’re not 1st in anything other than incarceration.
The U.S. isn’t backwards. You are. Stop listening to your propaganda news outlets.
This is a top 15 worst comment in the history of this site. What has made you lose your patriotism
A lot of things but I think the biggest one was watching people who call themselves patriots storm the capital building attacking cops because at the bequest of a well known con-man. Then watching other people who call themselves patriots try to defend what happened. Whatever politics you hold that was an attack on our democracy and it really opened my eyes that I might have been wrong all these years calling myself a conservative and a patriot.
But that summer of 2020 looting, arson, and anarchy was ok? It was ok to attack federal buildings and police stations? Firebomb the Portland mayor out of his condo? Set up stupid chaz zones? That wasn’t an attack on democracy?
Storming the capitol to change an democratic election is different than rioting and you know it. Don’t play dumb.
First election I ever saw where one candidate was winning key states late. Then ballot counting stopped. Then all those votes found for the other candidate the next day. Don’t play dumb either.
Kaep was NEVER very good PLAIN & SIMPLE. To full of himself to realize that a third string talent can’t make waves. But now as long as he keeps putting out CRAP like this he can continue pretending to be a ‘victim’ . Of course at his workouts they told him he looked good, no one had a reason to laugh and tell him the truth…..notice no one has signed him.
Yep he ain’t coming back. He tainted his reputation and the media circus that would follow him would too much for any NFL team to deal with. He’s a head case!!! He made a decision to disrespect the police and more importantly our country! He can now sit back and deal with the consequences!!!! Give it up dude……..
He needs to stop acting like a victim. Shut your mouth and put the work in. Stop asking for starters money, take a one year deal for a low amount and make it a prove it year. If you’re still as good as you claim to be then you should get a nice deal after that. He’s such an entitled baby.
I have zero against Kaepernick–but someone else said it recently: he realized it was more benefical to be a social justice advocate than a backup QB. He wants to paint this false image that he’s still interested to make the NFL “look bad” and it’s very transparent and kind of pathetic. He needs to just stick to the role he’s settled on because it’s clear as day he’ll never play football again. And he’s better at social justice than football anyway.
Good lord can this groundhog event ever end? Just make another race baiting Netflix special about how “hard your privileged life” was and move on already.
Kappy accepted a financial settlement from the league to drop his collusion case, go away and stay away. Is his brain so damaged he can’t remember that?
“I’ve heard a lot of excuses over the years,” Kaepernick says, “but most of the time it ends up, ‘Oh, we’re going to see how the guys that we have do.’ With the Raiders’ situation last year, that was Stidham and Nick Mullens, which to me, you just compare résumés and capabilities, on top of the workout and the feedback, it’s like, ‘O.K., cool.’
His last 2 years QBR was 43 and 49. Someone needs to tell him he sucked.
I love that he claims someone told him that he was “still elite” as if he’d ever been elite. Wasn’t elite in college and never was elite in the NFL, before opting out of his last year with SF to be a free agent. I don’t even care about the kneeling stuff all that much, he is just delusional.
Nike must pay people to write this story, as the dude is irrelevant at this point. He’s got Cam Newton’s age and throwing arm with 4 times the rust of Deshaun Watson.
Capperknick blows
I agree with seeing an XFL or USFL QB standout over him without a doubt. I still would love to see him play organized football. He was still a tremendous athlete and it would be exciting to see him try to run and try to throw passes at a professional level. McCarron to the NFL and he should be on the Battlehawks with Nick Tiano and Vincent Testeverde Jr. All that other non football stuff appears to be the blocker and not essentially playing for free as well. Cam Newton should have played XFL or USFL too. But if they stink up the place there it’s worse than them not even playing. But as a fan of football that’s what I would love to see.
T.O. Is still a tremendous athlete. That doesn’t mean he is in professional football shape.
Definitely True @phillyphilly4133 but wouldn’t you love to see him try?
I would like to see a team call his bluff and offer a starting job.
Preferably a team playing over in Europe.
Everyone needs to relax. Kaepernick had an opinion. Not everyone has to like it but Jesus let’s relax. If a team takes a chance on him, that’s their objective. But if someone does sign him, then be peaceful about it. He probably wouldn’t even see the field. A visceral reaction doesn’t help anything.
My favorite team traded for Tim Tebow and he was a waste of time and space, but I didn’t protest on 1 Jets Drive. The jaguars tried to make him a TE. If teams sign Kaep, that’s their prerogative. Let it go already.