Colin Kaepernick

Jim Harbaugh Interested In Adding Colin Kaepernick To Chargers’ Staff

August 16th, 2024 at 8:31am CST by Sam Robinson

AUGUST 16: As expected, Harbaugh confirmed Kaepernick will not be part of this year’s Chargers staff. Although the former 49ers coach has been a consistent Kaepernick backer, he also indicated (via the Associated Press) no playing opportunity will come from the Bolts. The new Chargers HC mentioned he has eyed his former quarterback as a coach dating back to his Michigan days. Seeing as Harbaugh already hired a few of his former 49ers, this is probably a fit to monitor beyond 2024.

“I have thought that for a long time. Just the respect that I have for the football mind he has and the football man that he is,” Harbaugh said of Kaepernick as a coach. “Al Davis saw something in me that made him think I would be a good coach, and I see those same qualities in Colin. If it is something he chooses.”

AUGUST 14: Colin Kaepernick‘s attempt to return to the NFL as a player is almost definitely over. No team signed the former Super Bowl starter during the eight offseasons since his 49ers separation, with a 2022 Raiders workout potentially being the free agent quarterback’s final true tie to a team.

But Jim Harbaugh has long been a backer. The new Chargers HC coaxed by far the best football of Kaepernick’s career, moving him into the 49ers’ starting lineup in 2012 and seeing the elevation lead to a Super Bowl XLVII berth and then another journey to the NFC championship game a year later. As Michigan’s HC in 2022, Harbaugh invited Kaepernick to throw as the Wolverines convened for their spring game. With Kaepernick now 36, Harbaugh is considering him for his coaching staff.

Kaepernick coaching connections have not surfaced, though this would be an interesting way for the former starter to return to the league years after his protest against police brutality and racial inequality keyed an NFL exile. Harbaugh said he has spoken with his former charge about a coaching position.

“If that was ever the path he was to take, I think that would be tremendous,” Harbaugh said, via USA Today’s Jarrett Bell. “He’d be a tremendous coach, if that’s the path he chose. … We talked a little bit about it. He’s considering it. He was out of the country. He said he was going to get back to me. We haven’t reconnected since then. That was early, early in the year.”

This conversation took place shortly after Harbaugh was hired in January, Bell adds. The gap here would seemingly pour cold water on the prospect of Kaepernick following former teammates NaVorro Bowman, Jonathan Goodwin and Will Tukuafu onto Harbaugh’s first Chargers staff. Bowman signed on to be the Bolts’ linebackers coach.

It would not appear Kaepernick would have been brought in as QBs coach, as the Bolts made a point to rehire former Justin Herbert mentor Shane Day for that role. The 49ers’ starting center during the early part of Kaepernick’s career, Goodwin joined Harbaugh’s staff as an offensive assistant with an emphasis on QBs. That in itself is an interesting hire, as Goodwin — who last played in the NFL in 2014 — has no prior experience as an NFL assistant or full-time college staffer. It is worth wondering if this was the role Harbaugh had in mind for Kaepernick had he shown interest.

A 2011 second-round pick, Kaepernick arrived during Harbaugh’s first offseason in San Francisco and started 39 games during the HC’s time with the team. Kaepernick’s play declined post-Harbaugh, as the 49ers’ fortunes worsened. In the years since, the former dual threat has obviously been known more for his inability to return to the NFL. Last year, Kaepernick wrote a letter to Jets GM Joe Douglas about a backup gig following Aaron Rodgers‘ Achilles tear.

As of July 2023, Kaepernick was still hoping to return as a player. He appears to still be aiming for a last-ditch re-emergence, telling Sky Sports recently he is still training in hopes one of the league’s owners would sign off on an opportunity. Given how much time has passed since Kaepernick’s March 2017 49ers separation, a return seems unrealistic.

It would, of course, be interesting if Kaepernick abandoned this path and reunited with Harbaugh as a coach. Harbaugh told Bell that Kaepernick’s divisive reputation would not be an issue that impeded a Chargers hire. As of now, it does not look like anything is in motion here.

QB Notes: Jets, Jackson, Commanders

September 27th, 2023 at 12:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

Out of football since the 2016 season, Colin Kaepernick continues to pursue a comeback. The exiled quarterback wrote a letter to Jets GM Joe Douglas asking for an opportunity to join the team’s practice squad. The letter, as shared by rapper J. Cole (Instagram link), lays out a number of reasons Kaepernick could assist the Jets while making it clear he would be a Zach Wilson contingency plan. Kaepernick cites his ability to offer the Jets’ defense a look at a mobile QB, referencing the advantage that could provide the unit given the dual-threat starters on the team’s schedule. The letter also includes Jim Harbaugh, John Harbaugh and Mark Davis being listed as references. While it is unusual to see a document like this surface, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk confirms it is authentic.

Davis’ team gave the 35-year-old QB a workout last summer, and the former 49ers starter questioned the Raiders preferring Jarrett Stidham and Nick Mullens — the team’s backups at the time — to him. Even though Kaepernick indicated he still trains five days a week for a potential comeback, the book is almost definitely closed for his return to the NFL. He would have profiled as a more realistic option during the late 2010s, but since the 2019 workout snafu in Atlanta, connections to teams have been sparse. Shortly after Aaron Rodgers‘ injury, Kaepernick’s agent contacted the Jets, and a subsequent report indicated no interest existed on the team’s part. The Jets have since signed Trevor Siemian to their P-squad.

Here is the latest from the QB landscape:

Siemian could dress for the Jets as an emergency third QB, provided he is elevated to the active roster ahead of Saturday’s deadline, but Robert Saleh confirmed (via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini) the journeyman passer will not be active for Week 4. Wilson and Tim Boyle will be the team’s only active QBs for a third straight game. Siemian has made 30 career starts, including one for the Jets (Week 2, 2019), but could not beat out Jake Browning for the Bengals’ backup job during training camp.
It took the Ravens nearly 2 1/2 years to extend Lamar Jackson, but when the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts contract surfaced, GM Eric DeCosta made an earnest effort to finish the process. “We had just signed Odell [Beckham Jr.] and the Hurts deal came out. I thought to myself, ‘Why not try again?’” DeCosta said, via The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec (subscription required). “We put some stuff together on paper. There were people who probably weren’t optimistic about our chances. How many players request a trade and then do a long-term deal with their team like a month later? It doesn’t happen very often, but I was optimistic, partly because I know Lamar. I had been with him in Florida. I know what he’s made of and I know what’s important to him.” DeCosta said he had not spoken to Jackson much this offseason, one in which the former MVP requested a trade. The Hurts deal continued to paint the Deshaun Watson fully guaranteed accord as an outlier. Long connected to seeking a fully guaranteed contract, Jackson accepted the Ravens’ offer and signed a five-year, $260MM deal — one that helped shape Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow‘s respective negotiations.
Eric Bieniemy going from Patrick Mahomes to a Commanders team planning to go with Sam Howell did not represent a deal-breaker for the five-year Chiefs OC. The new NFC East play-caller joined the Commanders in placing a second-round grade on the North Carolina prospect last year, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. A one-time first-round-level prospect prior to a statistical regression as a junior, Howell is off to an uneven start. QBR places the 2022 fifth-rounder 25th through three games, though he has shown some promise early in his QB1 run.

Jets Not Planning To Contact Tom Brady About Comeback

September 13th, 2023 at 10:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the Jets attempt to reinstall Zach Wilson as their starting quarterback, they are believed to have contacted available quarterbacks to round out their depth chart in the wake of Aaron Rodgers‘ injury. The biggest name available does not appear to be on their radar.

The team is not planning to make a pitch to Tom Brady to unretire for a second time, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, who notes the future Hall of Famer continues to inform those close to him he does not intend to play again. While Brady unretired last year, he was out of the game for barely a month. This retirement has spanned more than seven months.

Brady, 46, retired for a second time on Feb. 1 and has made multiple plans to stay connected to the game after completing one of the greatest careers in sports history. He is planning to begin his tenure as FOX’s top analyst next year and has agreed to buy a stake in the Raiders. While the latter endeavor generated rumors about Brady being an emergency Jimmy Garoppolo injury replacement with Las Vegas, the 23-year veteran shot those down by indicating he was indeed done.

Rumblings of a Brady return to the AFC East caused quite the uproar last year, when the Brady-Sean Payton tampering scandal cost the Dolphins first- and third-round picks. During his first retirement, Brady buzz about becoming a player/owner with the Dolphins circulated. That Miami penalty surfaced just before the Buccaneers reconvened for their 2022 training camp, which preceded a surprising Brady hiatus after he had initially showed up at Bucs camp.

Both Brady and the Bucs proceeded to take significant steps back last season, as injuries mounted along Tampa Bay’s offensive line. While Brady joined a Bucs team with a number of intriguing defensive pieces in 2020, stepping in to help a talented young Jets defense does not look realistic.

The Jets have been connected to the likes of Carson Wentz and Nick Foles, who were each in Philadelphia during Joe Douglas‘ tenure as a Howie Roseman lieutenant. The team has also been linked to be aimed at convincing one player — Chad Henne — to unretire. The ex-Nathaniel Hackett Jaguars pupil came up Tuesday as an option for the Jets, but no indications have emerged regarding the four-year Chiefs backup’s interest in unretiring to play behind Wilson.

Although the Jets made no secret of their effort to replace Wilson this offseason, their primary targets were Rodgers and Derek Carr. Brady was briefly linked to the Raiders as a free agent, but he retired soon after. The NFL still needs to approve of his Raiders ownership path. It would certainly be easier for the Jets to land Brady compared to the Dolphins, who pursued a quarterback still under contract with another team. As of now, however, Wilson is back at the helm for a Jets team that has seen its stock take a substantial hit despite a come-from-behind Week 1 win.

In addition to Brady, the Jets are not pursuing Colin Kaepernick, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson tweets. Kaepernick, who was brought up as an injury-replacement option often during the late 2010s, contacted the Jets about their sudden QB issue. But the former Super Bowl starter was never a realistic option, seeing as his unique NFL exit occurred more than six years ago.

Colt McCoy may be an option, Anderson adds. The Cardinals released McCoy just before the deadline to cut their roster to 53 players, going instead with recent trade pickup Joshua Dobbs in Week 1. McCoy, who turned 37 earlier this month, spent the past two seasons in Arizona. He came up as an option for New England, but the Patriots have used younger options as Mac Jones‘ backup. This would be McCoy’s 14th NFL season.

Jets In Discussions With Free Agent QBs; Team To Start Zach Wilson

September 13th, 2023 at 11:37am CST by Sam Robinson

SEPTEMBER 13: The Jets are unlikely to add a quarterback this week, Cimini tweets. As they prepare to face a top-tier Cowboys defense, the Jets are gearing up to head into that game with a Wilson-Boyle depth chart. While Saleh said he would he “shocked” if Rodgers retired after this injury, Cimini adds, the eventual first-ballot Canton inductee is out of the picture until 2024. No surgery date has emerged yet.

SEPTEMBER 12: Aaron Rodgers‘ historically short cameo this season leaves the Jets back with Zach Wilson as their starting quarterback. Although the team aggressively chased veteran passers — in a search that produced Rodgers — this offseason to avoid Wilson returning as QB1, the future Hall of Famer’s Achilles tear leaves the much-hyped team scrambling.

While Wilson is back in place atop the Jets’ depth chart, team brass is meeting to discuss options at the position. The team has already begun to reach out to free agent signal-callers, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini tweets. As should be expected, representatives for a number of free agent options have contacted the Jets, Fox Sports’ Peter Schrager adds. The Jets are only planning for an outside addition to fill out the QB room, with Robert Saleh clarifying Wilson will be the starter.

“I want to make it very clear: Zach’s our quarterback,” Saleh said, via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. “We have a lot of faith in Zach. We’re rolling with Zach and excited for him. … Under no circumstances is any of this a competition. This is Zach’s team and we’re rolling with Zach.”

Former Rodgers Green Bay backup Tim Boyle is the only other QB with the Jets presently, and Saleh confirmed he will become the backup. The team let Mike White walk in free agency; the two-year Jets spot starter who eventually moved past Wilson on the depth chart is now Tua Tagovailoa‘s Dolphins backup. Joe Flacco was part of the Jets’ QB room for three seasons, including Saleh’s first two. The former Super Bowl MVP has expressed interest in continuing his career, and ESPN’s Rich Cimini notes the 15-year veteran is interested in coming back. Nothing has transpired on this front just yet, however, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.

Flacco, 38, would seemingly be an option, though the Mike LaFleur-to-Nathaniel Hackett switch may be a hurdle here. But GM Joe Douglas having brought in Flacco, whom he worked while a scout with in Baltimore, would count in the ex-Ravens cornerstone’s favor. Douglas was also with the Eagles when they traded up for Carson Wentz and during Nick Foles‘ second stint with the team.

Three teams have jettisoned Wentz over the past three offseasons; the former No. 2 overall pick has been working out preparing for another opportunity since his Commanders exit. The Colts cut Foles, 34, in May. Neither has been tied to a team since their respective releases. At this juncture, both would qualify as logical emergency options. Wentz would represent the better chance to replace Wilson, having been a starter throughout his career. Colt McCoy, whom the Cardinals recently released, is also unattached. McCoy came up as a potential Patriots option but has not signed with a team since his Arizona exit.

The team has inquired about Chad Henne, per Schultz. The four-year Chiefs backup retired after Super Bowl LVII, but he has worked in Hackett’s system before. Henne’s time with the Jaguars overlapped with Hackett’s. Hackett coached Henne from 2016-18, working as Jacksonville’s OC. Henne turned 38 shortly after his retirement announcement.

Colin Kaepernick‘s agent has reached out to the Jets as well, The Score’s Jordan Schultz tweets. While Saleh and Kaepernick technically overlapped with the 49ers, that brief period did not involve any game action. The 49ers were set to release the polarizing passer had he not opted out of his contract in March 2017; that sequence came less than a month after Kyle Shanahan hired Saleh. Despite having not played since the 2016 season, the exiled QB has continued to work out in hopes of resuming his career. Considering how long it has been since Kaepernick played in the NFL, he is not a realistic option at this point.

The 49ers were prepared to pull Philip Rivers out of a multiyear retirement in February, had they somehow upended the Eagles after Brock Purdy‘s injury and advanced to Super Bowl LVII. The former Chargers great is now 41. Matt Ryan did not close the door on returning, but the 2022 Colts starter is now at CBS and did not show good form last season.

Tom Brady collected his seventh Super Bowl ring by joining a team with a talented defense and young skill-position talents. Unlike Brady retirement No. 1, the all-time great is a free agent. The 46-year-old icon has said repeatedly this year he is done, and while this would be an intriguing opportunity for a quarterback who was open to playing an age-46 season late last year, SI.com’s Albert Breer views each of the longtime starters as unlikely options.

Rodgers’ injury development is eerily similar to the one that wrecked the Jets’ 1999 season. Following an AFC championship game berth, the Jets lost starter Vinny Testaverde to an Achilles tear in Week 1 of the ’99 campaign. The team used former No. 2 overall pick Rick Mirer, who had washed out with the Seahawks, as its starter soon after. Mirer had arrived via trade that August. The team eventually benched Mirer for mobile third-stringer Ray Lucas, who ended up starting nine games that year. The Jets finished 8-8 in Bill Parcells‘ third and final year at the helm; Testaverde returned to retake the reins in 2000.

Wilson struggled mightily last season and ended up being benched for White midway through. Issues in the locker room were rumored to have contributed to the benching. Although Wilson ended up moving back into the backup role to fill in for an injured White in Week 16, a woeful showing against the Jaguars cemented the Jets’ pursuit of veteran options this offseason. The team resisted on adding a veteran backup behind Rodgers, with the trade rumors surrounding Wilson ending up unfounded. The former No. 2 pick is awkwardly back in the Jets’ top spot, but it will be interesting to see if a starter-caliber veteran arrives and eventually pushes the underwhelming investment for playing time.

Colin Kaepernick Staying In Shape, Talks Raiders Workout

July 1st, 2023 at 12:23pm CST by Ben Levine

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.

No Deal Imminent Between Raiders, Colin Kaepernick

May 27th, 2022 at 4:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

Colin Kaepernick‘s Wednesday workout with the Raiders put the high-profile passer back squarely on the NFL radar. The audition has not produced a signing, and it does not look like an agreement will come to pass in the near future.

Although the Raiders viewed Kaepernick’s workout positively, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes no deal is imminent. Teams often circle back to workout players down the road, and a recent report indicated two other teams showed some level of interest in Kaepernick. For now, the Raiders are sticking with their Nick Mullens–Jarrett Stidham duo behind Derek Carr. The recently added backups may have OTAs and minicamp to prove themselves as viable QB2 options.

Although Las Vegas could potentially upgrade with Kaepernick as its backup to Carr, the former San Francisco starter has not played in the NFL since the 2016 season. The 34-year-old quarterback, by all accounts thus far, displayed quality arm strength and good fitness at his workout. That is impressive considering how long it has been since his controversial stay in free agency began. Rust should be understandable, given the circumstances.

The Raiders are not believed to be viewing Kaepernick as a player who would contribute in a Marcus Mariota fashion in specialty packages. They are looking for a Carr backup. Josh McDaniels did head the Patriots’ Cam Newton-led offense in 2020, but the veteran play-caller’s career has mostly featured pocket QBs.

McDaniels, of course, broke into the OC ranks with Tom Brady. After helping the 2008 Patriots to an 11-5 season with Matt Cassel starting 15 games, McDaniels parlayed that into a head-coaching opportunity in Denver, where he promptly swapped out Jay Cutler for Kyle Orton. Although McDaniels did greenlight a trade up for Tim Tebow in the 2010 first round, Tebow did not make any starts under McDaniels, who spent the 2011 season running a Rams offense that primarily featured Sam Bradford at the controls. The least mobile of the five QBs chosen in Round 1 last year, Mac Jones rounded out McDaniels’ Patriots run, replacing Newton.

Newton remains a free agent but has only been connected to the Panthers this offseason. The pickings at quarterback are otherwise slim, headlined by Josh Rosen, Blake Bortles and ex-Raider Mike Glennon. Ryan Fitzpatrick, 39, has not yet retired and has proven more than this group as a backup option, but he missed 16 games due to injury last season.

Latest On Raiders, Colin Kaepernick

May 26th, 2022 at 8:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

Colin Kaepernick‘s Raiders workout occurred Wednesday, and although Josh McDaniels did not address how the high-profile free agent performed, some indications have emerged that the one-time Super Bowl starter accounted himself well.

The former 49ers quarterback displayed good arm strength and conditioning, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter). NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport also notes the 34-year-old passer impressed at his Las Vegas audition (video link), adding the door for a potential Kaepernick-Raiders agreement is open. Another source was high on Kaepernick’s arm strength and fitness, via USA Today’s Josina Anderson, while also pointing out the difference between a Raiders-organized workout and an independent session was noticeable at points (Twitter links).

Two other teams are believed to have shown some interest in Kaepernick this offseason, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio offers. It will be interesting to see if another workout takes place. Prior to the Raiders’ invite, Kaepernick had not been a fixture on the NFL radar in 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. Otherwise, it has been quiet for the the player who has not played in a game since New Year’s Day 2017.

Exiled from the league after his protests of racial injustice during the national anthem created one of the biggest controversies in NFL history, which also led to the league settling with Kaepernick and Eric Reid on a collusion lawsuit, Kaepernick is obviously short on time to make an NFL comeback. Mark Davis has signed off on a deal, if his football staff views Kaepernick as a fit.

The Raiders used Marcus Mariota as Derek Carr‘s backup over the past two seasons, and the former Titans talent was featured in occasional sub-packages aimed to take advantage of his mobility. (Mariota is now with the Falcons.) As of now, it is not believed the Raiders would have such a plan for Kaepernick. They view him as a potential Carr backup option and not a player who would be used in specialty packages, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore.

Although Kaepernick displayed electric running ability as a young player, peaking with one of the NFL’s great playoff rushing performances in a 49ers rout of the Packers in the 2012 divisional round, his being away from the game for so long would stand to impact his athleticism. It also might be too early to speculate on a prospective role, given the unique circumstances surrounding the University of Nevada alum.

Currently, Las Vegas rosters Jarrett Stidham and Nick Mullens behind Carr. The Raiders also have rookie UDFA Chase Garbers (Cal) on their offseason roster. Stidham, who has attempted 48 career passes in eight games as a backup, played three seasons in McDaniels’ Patriots offense. He did not see any time in 2021. Mullens has far more experience, having made 17 starts in four seasons despite a being a former UDFA. He started a game for the Browns last season, with Baker Mayfield and Case Keenum out due to COVID-19. Carr has been one of the NFL’s most durable quarterbacks during his career, missing just three games (counting the Raiders’ 2016 wild-card playoff loss) in eight seasons.

Raiders To Work Out Colin Kaepernick

May 25th, 2022 at 9:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders will become the first team in five years to give Colin Kaepernick a workout. Out of the NFL since the 2016 season, the former 49ers quarterback is auditioning for the Raiders on Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports.

Kaepernick, now 34, returned to the spotlight earlier this year by continuing his workouts and making comments about still seeking an NFL return. Kaepernick’s trainer said in March he had spoken with multiple teams, and Mark Davis said back in 2020 he had given his blessing for the Raiders to sign the polarizing quarterback at any point since his long free agency stay began in 2017.

GM Dave Ziegler will join Josh McDaniels and Co. for the workout, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets. New Raiders offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi was on the 49ers’ staff from 2013-16. Kaepernick also returns to Nevada, where he starred in college prior to being a 2011 second-round pick.

The Raiders began their OTA sessions Monday and have a day off today; the team is scheduled to finish off its first week of OTAs Thursday. It is not out of the question their quarterback room could have a high-profile addition by that point, though it is far from certain the Raiders will move forward here.

Kaepernick merely receiving this opportunity is surprising, considering how long it has been since his last workout for a team (with the Seahawks, in May 2017) and how long it has been since the NFL-sanctioned/Kaepernick-adjusted Georgia workout (November 2019) commenced. The six-year 49er did, however, throw at Michigan’s spring game — one that featured NFL staffers present — after receiving an invite from former coach Jim Harbaugh.

The Raiders have an unquestioned starter in Derek Carr, whose recent career rebound enticed the new Las Vegas regime to extend him earlier this offseason, and added ex-Patriot Jarrett Stidham and ex-49er Nick Mullens behind him. Kaepernick’s profile and accomplishments obviously dwarf both of Carr’s current backups, but the former Super Bowl starter has not thrown a regular-season pass since New Year’s Day 2017.

Even if the quarterback’s NFL exile was only about ability, he would still face long odds at re-establishing himself. Teams have steered clear of the talented passer/runner since his decision to kneel during the playing of the national anthem, protesting racial injustice and police brutality, caused a firestorm for the NFL. The fallout from that led to Kaepernick and former 49ers teammate Eric Reid suing the league for collusion and receiving a settlement in 2019.

Reid received another opportunity, with the Panthers signing him in 2018 and giving him an extension months later. Always the more divisive figure as a well-known quarterback and the leader of the racially inspired movement, Kaepernick never was granted such a chance. Given this and the time that has elapsed, Kaepernick returning to an NFL sideline would be one of the most astonishing comebacks in sports history.

“You have ‘End Racism’ in the back of your end zone. You have ‘Black Lives Matter’ on your helmet. Everything I’ve said should be in alignment with what you’re saying publicly,” Kaepernick said during an appearance on the I Am Athlete podcast. “It’s a $16 billion business. When I first took a knee, my jersey went to No. 1. When I did the deal with Nike, their value increased by six billion dollars. Six billion. With a B.

“… So if you’re talking about the business side, it shows [it’s] beneficial. If you’re talking about the playing side, come in, let me compete. You can evaluate me from there. The NFL’s supposed to be a meritocracy. Come in, let me compete. If I’m not good enough, get rid of me. But let me come in and show you.”

At his best under Harbaugh, Kaepernick guided the 49ers to back-to-back NFC championship games and nearly led a comeback win in Super Bowl XLVII. Post-Harbaugh, the 49ers steadily deteriorated, leading to multiple coaching changes. Kaepernick finished 29th in QBR in 2015 and 23rd in 2016 and opted out of his 49ers contract before the Kyle Shanahan regime was prepared to release him. Teams in need of a backup or an emergency starter passed on Kaepernick in the years that followed, and he became mentioned less and less in connection with various in-season QB openings.

The Nevada alum’s profile has obviously soared in the years since, and seeing if the Raiders — set to enter next season with the most optimism surrounding their contender status in many years — sign Kaepernick instantly becomes one of this offseason’s top storylines.

NFC Notes: Packers, Cousins, Seahawks, Kaepernick

April 17th, 2022 at 4:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Following the mass exodus of the Packers’ staff this offseason, longtime NFL quarterbacks coach Tom Clements received a phone call from his old player, quarterback Aaron Rodgers, as reported by Ryan Wood of Packers News.

Rodgers had just watched the dissolution of the Packers’ 2021 coaching staff. Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett departed to Denver for a head coaching position. Passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Luke Getsy took an offensive coordinator job for the rival Bears.

Clements was enjoying retirement, looking forward to heading into Year 2 of armchair quarterbacking like the rest of us. Clements claimed he “didn’t have the itch to come back,” but after conversations with Rodgers and Packers head coach Matt LeFleur, Clements found himself back in the NFL, returning to his longest tenured home from his first stint in coaching.

Here are a few other notes from around the NFC, starting with another note from the North:

Following a shiny new deal from the Vikings, quarterback Kirk Cousins appears content to finish his NFL career in Minnesota, according to The Athletic’s Chad Graff. Cousins certainly didn’t need an early extension. He set an example years ago for how a player can bet on himself, becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to be franchise-tagged in consecutive years then signing the league’s first ever (and highest at the time) fully-guaranteed contract. Despite this history, Cousins agreed to a deal that freed up some cap space for Minnesota. When asked why he agreed to this deal, Cousins simply stated, “The short answer is: I want to be a Minnesota Viking.”
Jason La Canfora wrote a piece Friday asserting his belief that two quarterbacks will go in the Top 10 picks of the 2022 NFL Draft, notably that he expects Atlanta and Carolina to select one of Liberty’s Malik Willis or Pitt’s Kenny Pickett. If either NFC South franchise ends up addressing another position, though, La Canfora expects Seattle to fulfill his prediction with the No. 9 overall pick. Should neither quarterback be available to the Seahawks, several executives believe that Seattle would trade back, allowing teams who are hungry to select a specific prospect to relinquish some of their draft capital while keeping alive the Seahawks ability to draft a value-player without reaching.
Should Seattle not find a quarterback in the Draft, one option they’ve kicked the tires on is former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick hasn’t played since January of 2017, but has stayed in shape amidst lawsuits and accusations against the NFL that settled in 2019. A connection was reported with the Seahawks in March after some comments from head coach Pete Carroll. Carroll gave an update, as reported by USA Today’s Scooby Axson, saying that, while not much has progressed in terms of a contract, Carroll notices the work Kaepernick has put in and admires the 34-year-old’s desire to compete. No deal seems imminent, but Kaepernick remains a possibility should Seattle strike out in the Draft later this month.

Colin Kaepernick Drawing Interest From NFL Teams?

March 23rd, 2022 at 2:16pm CST by Zachary Links

Colin Kaepernick is reportedly catching the eye of NFL teams. As reported by TMZ, a recent workout he had with renowned trainer David Robinson has generated interest the quarterback returning to the league.

Robinson says that “multiple NFL teams have contacted him” regarding Kaepernick. More specifically, he adds that “at least” five different clubs have been in communication with him following a recent training session the two participated in at the beginning of March.

“A few teams have reached out to me and asked how his arm looked,” said Robinson, who has worked with a number of high-profile players in the NFL. “He definitely has the ability to play on somebody’s roster… He looked real good“.

The 34-year-old last played in 2016 with the 49ers, who drafted him in 2011. He started 58 of 69 games with the team, winning the NFC championship in 2012. Now six years removed from playing, however, many have doubted he would land a deal with an NFL team, despite reports indicating otherwise in past years. Kaepernick has been “traveling all over the country this month,” as the report says, though, demonstrating his willingness to re-enter the league.

Pete Carroll mentioned recently he spoke with Kaepernick, but no team has been seriously connected to the polarizing passer since the Seahawks nixed a visit with him in 2018. Kaepernick also met with the Seahawks in 2017. Kaepernick sent Carroll workout videos recently, though the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta notes the 13th-year Seahawks HC was noncommittal when asked about a potential meeting with the former 49ers QB.

“Still hopeful. There’s been a lot of conversation around it. Again, we’ve had conversations with Pete and John [Schneider] previously,” Kaepernick said, via Condotta. “As Pete mentioned, we have spoken recently and still hoping that door is open and get a chance to walk through it.”

On that point, Robinson has optimism a return could happen. “I definitely think that this go-around, he may get a shot,” he said — something which could further add to a QB market which has already seen sizable movement take place this offseason.

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