The NFL will stage a workout for free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick on Saturday, and — as could have been expected — the event has already become something of a spectacle. We’ve since learned that Kaepernick himself didn’t even know about the audition until the league informed him of it earlier this week, while the NFL is unwilling to budge on date, time, or location.
Here’s more on Kaepernick’s upcoming tryout:
- The league originally contacted Kaepernick and his camp on Tuesday morning, and subsequently sent out a memo regarding the workout to all NFL teams on Tuesday night, per Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (Twitter thread). Because the NFL wanted to hold the workout at a team facility, a Saturday after a club had left for a road game presented the best option.
- The audition is reportedly largely in response to teams reaching out to the league with interest in Kaepernick, according to Breer. While it may seem odd that clubs didn’t simply contact Kaepernick or his agents, Breer does offer one possible explanation: Kaepernick’s talks with the Seahawks and Ravens — both of whom expressed interest in recent years — ended poorly, so clubs could be “skittish” about negotiating with him.
- While a late-season workout is certainly curious, it may create a chance for Kaepernick to have a six-week audition with a team with an eye towards 2020, per Breer. Moreover, teams that don’t have a spot for Kaepernick at the moment will at least be able to gather more info on him for a possible 2020 signing.
- There is confusion as to whether the NFL promised to provide a list of attendees at the workout, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Some sources have told Schefter that Kaepernick was promised such a list, but the league is saying no indication to that effect was ever given.
- The actual substance of the workout is still unknown as well, according to Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports. As of Wednesday night, it was unclear what Kaepernick will actually be doing throwing-wise at the audition, and the quarterback isn’t aware of who he will be throwing to.
The whole story simply doesn’t make sense. Why do an audition past the half way point of the season, in a city where he doesn’t live, on a day before the NFL games and college football is on; negating the scouts to be there, & w/o notice to CK? And just for 1 former player, why not have multiple players?
The NFL is quite good at embarrassing themselves! From burning tapes to this fiasco.
It’s just another ham handed PR stunt by the billionaire boys club that makes them look even more clueless than we suspected. Unreal.
I’m not saying this story isn’t weird, it is. But why don’t we just let the workout happen?
Hey if he doesn’t hit a receiver, was he late or early or does his throwing motion look good or does it look as wonky as we last saw?
I get why Reid thinks it’s a joke to do this now. People with a moral, vested interest. But why can’t we just take it for what it is?
He has a workout, for him hopefully it goes well.
Probably just a small part of the $10 million agreement
Agreed. The owners had to have something in their settlement that he would never play again.
The hole world knows that Kap is BLACKBALL and this is coming from TRUMP
Whole or ‘hole’?
Whole = totality, encompasses the entirety of an object or idea.
Hole = a gap, or something we found In your head.
There’s no need for insults. Everyone has five orifices/holes in his/her head, not counting piercings, pores, cuts or spaces between the skull and the brain or between or inside teeth…
As for Kaepernick, I did not know that his previous meetings with teams went poorly. If he takes this opportunity seriously without complaints and shows humility and, most importantly, ability, he could impress a team enough to get himself back in the league. I felt Ray Rice was unjustly vilified considering he had no prior record and made great effort to reform himself, but his decline is what kept teams from giving him another chance. Rightly or wrongly, teams hope they will see enough that could justify the PR hit they could take by signing Kaepernick.
Agree with all the comments. It has been reported by sources that part of the settlement with the NFL was that he would get a workout in front of teams. This is simply the NFL fulfilling the terms of that agreement in the least positive light possible. In reality do we really believe a team will look at him and say ‘We Have to sign him now!’ And get into a bidding war with other teams, then immediately insert him as a starting QB? Of course not. In reality, he’s 3+ years removed from playing, was on the decline his last year in SF and with the media circus that he’ll generate it’s likely no team will want him.
It’s time to move on from him. He doesn’t want to play. Had he truly wanted to play he would have pursued the CFL, AAF, XFL, AFL, but he didn’t and when those leagues reached out to him (as well as some NFL teams) he demanded an exorbitant salary and starting position. Colin, your football career is over. Move on with your life and use it to do something new and productive.
Whole or ‘hole’?
Whole = totality, encompasses the entirety of an object or idea.
Hole = a gap, or something we found In your head.
We’re still talking about a workout? A workout.
We talkin’ bout PRACTICE
Typical BS NFL staged crap. The NFL will continue to not see my money in their balance sheets.
You’re reading and discussing the NFL on a website devoted to NFL news. Trust me, the NFL is making money off of you and your fake moral outrage. Cretin.
The NFL PR people just don’t get it.
Did you not think Kap might mention he didn’t know about the workout and they are unwilling to change date/times?
Drama not needed
This thing is a joke the way the NFL organized it (or didn’t really organize much). I wouldn’t be shocked to see Kap pull out, though the NFL will then claim they tried to help him. Pretty humiliating move so obvious the NFL just wants to mess with Kap and honor some part of their settlement with him in the crappiest way possible.
I think this would probably end up in humiliation even if Kappy’s agent had been the organizer. The smart approach would have been for Kappy to get a degree in journalism and then attempt a comeback. That way even if he looked dreadful he could save face by saying he was actually just trying to follow up on the investigative research on the QB position initiated by George Plimpton.
If he does get another shot he will become a media circus just like what happened with Tim Tebow. Except for Tebow did nothing wrong! This clown( Kap) disrespected our country and law enforcement. If he would have kept his opinions to himself he’d still be playing and making millions!
Well said! I agree, thus making it a true statement.
No disrespect, just expressing his rights. Kareem Hunt, Tyreek Hill, and Adrian Petersen are allowed to play and that’s fine, right. Again, what does playing the national anthem have to do with a sporting event. The real people disrespecting our veterans are those allowing them to be homeless
Study in 2017 estimated a little over 40,000 veterans are homeless
I never realized standing up and speaking for social justice was disrespecting the country
First, Kaep did not disrespect the country or law enforcement. He protested (something our country was built upon) the deaths of unarmed civilians at the hands of law enforcement and the weak judicial response.
Second, Tebow did nothing wrong other than suck at football. Dude had the slowest throwing motion of all time and couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn. He was Eric Crouch 2.0.
Yes he did and did it wrong that the issue now a days with so many people. So many other ways he could of took his words the way he did it split things up even worse. This should not even be a topic close the book on this guy and move on
Noodles, just like you’re keeping your opinions to yourself? I give the man props for speaking up for those less fortunate than himself. Considering we have at least two RAPISTS starting at QB in the NFL, I have no problem rooting for Kap. And he did not disrespect the country. The man has carried himself with dignity even despite being blackballed by the NFL. He is better than quite a few NFL QBs.
I think one thing everyone can agree on (except the clown Arthur Blank) is that the current NFL commissioner is a horrible on so many levels.
Disagree
Agreed
The political tide is turning on Trump. Now the NFL is trying to get in the right side of the issue now that the issue has quieted down. Last time I checked…Protest is legal in this country.
Protest is legal, although not good for business.
Maybe the Kaepernick’s reps have been badgering the NFL non stop for a workout and threatening action if they do not. If that were the case, it would make sense how this mess is working out. NFL finally tires of the badgering and says ok have Colin at this location on Saturday and we will inform all teams of the workout. Shuts up the reps. For now.
It almost looks like the NFL is putting this out there as a trial balloon in hopes of expanding the showcase concept into a reality TV series. It can be marketed as a sort of Hard Knocks spinoff and there are enough former bad boys like Antonio Brown and Dez Bryant to make it work. Of course true connoisseurs of comedy will still prefer Ed Sabol’s Football Follies but unfortunately he is no longer around to make those anymore.