Getty Free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick has been in contact with multiple teams.
Colin Kaepernick’s much-anticipated workout is closing in and another familiar name will be making an appearance. It was reported on Thursday that former Green Bay Packers coach Joe Philbin was going to watch the workout. Now, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, former Oakland Raiders and Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson will be leading drills.
Jackson started his head coaching career with the Raiders, but only lasted one season. He actually led the team to a respectable 8-8 record but was not retained because there was a change at general manager. Jackson was the head coach of the Browns from 2016 to 2018. He was fired halfway through the 2018 season due to the team’s poor performance. He finished the season as an assistant for the Cincinnati Bengals but wasn’t brought back as they made a change at head coach. Though he was a disappointment in Cleveland, Jackson is a respected NFL mind and has done strong work with quarterbacks in the past.
There Will Plenty of Teams in Attendance
Per NFL345 on Twitter, there will be 11 teams attending Colin Kaepernick’s workout on Saturday. Arizona, Atlanta, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Miami, New England, New York Jets and Giants, Tampa Bay and Washington are the teams listed. Out of the 11 teams mentioned, Denver, Miami and Washington are the teams where Kaepernick could have a chance to start as they’re all in desperate need of quarterback help.
Any of the above teams could also be interested in adding him for depth purposes. At this point, he’s been out of the NFL for almost three years. Even if he is in peak physical condition, he’s going to need to shake off some rust. Though there are only 11 teams that are expected to attend, as Rapoport reported previously, all 32 teams should get a glimpse of Kaepernick in one way or another.
Does Kaepernick Have a Real Shot at Making a Team?
There’s no doubt that the NFL has put Kaepernick in a strange spot. He didn’t get much notice to prepare for this workout, but he may not have had a chance this real to make a team otherwise. The biggest obstacle that he’s going to have to overcome is the fact that he’ll bring a lot of media attention to a team. Even if he keeps quiet and stops his national anthem protest, there will still be plenty of fans that aren’t happy about his return.
Another problem is that he may just not have the necessary talent to warrant the media circus he’s going to bring. There’s almost no doubt he’d be an improvement over the quarterback situations in Denver or Miami, but those teams aren’t going to win anyway. Adding somebody like Kaepernick to the mix will just bring a lot of drama with little payoff. That being said, it just takes one team to believe in him. His best option is to probably go to a good team that wouldn’t need him to play this season. The team will also need to be well equipped to handle the media pressure. The New England Patriots are attending and they are a really interesting option. No team handles the media better than they do. The Dallas Cowboys could also be a good landing spot. They always have some kind of drama going on, so they’ll be used to dealing with the kind of media scrutiny that a Kaepernick addition would bring.