There appears to be only a slim chance that Colin Kaepernick ever makes his way onto an XFL roster. XFL commissioner Oliver Luck admitted that Kaepernick’s asking price was too high for teams in the new league to afford.
“I think his salary demands are way out of our ballpark,” Luck noted to The Tampa Bay Times. “He was never really a viable option.”
The average salary in the XFL is $55,000, per Pro Football Talk. The XFL noted prior to the season that top players could make as much as $250,000 per season, but that does not appear to be in the range that Kaepernick is looking for his next salary.
The XFL Talked With Kaepernick About Joining the League But the QB Reportedly Wanted a $20 Million Salary
Kaepernick did speak with the XFL about joining the new league, but the former NFL quarterback was seeking a $20 million salary, per Sporting News. Sportsbooks have released odds on Kaepernick joining the XFL. Kaepernick was given 20/1 odds to join the XFL first in a group that includes Johnny Manziel, Josh Gordon and Chad Johnson, per The Athletic’s John Machota.
Odds on first player to play in the XFL, via @betonline_ag:
Chad Johnson: 5/1
Pacman Jones: 7/1
Josh Gordon: 10/1
Johnny Manziel: 12/1
Randy Gregory: 12/1
Vontaze Burfict: 12/1
Colin Kaepernick: 20/1
Terrell Owens: 20/1
Dez Bryant: 33/1
Michael Vick: 50/1
Greg Hardy: 100/1
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell Noted That the NFL Has “Moved On” From Kaepernick
Kaepernick’s standoff with the NFL continues with the latest dispute centering around a workout in front of NFL teams during the 2019 season. The NFL organized a workout for Kaepernick where interested teams could attend at the Falcons’ training facility just north of Atlanta.
Kaepernick’s representatives ended up pulling out of the workout and organizing their own at a different location that was more than an hour away from where scouts planned to watch the quarterback. When asked about Kaepernick, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell cited the workout as an “opportunity” noting the NFL had since “moved on” from the quarterback.
“This was … about creating an opportunity, which Colin’s representatives came out in early October and we created that opportunity,” Goodell said, per CNN.com. “It was a unique opportunity — an incredible opportunity and he chose not to take it. I understand that. And we’ve moved on here.”
Kaepernick Told NFL Teams to “Stop Being Scared” to Sign Him After His Recent Workout
Kaepernick’s revised workout was still attended by several NFL teams. After completing drills and throws, Kaepernick briefly met with reporters who were in attendance at the workout and had a message for NFL owners.
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“Our biggest thing with everything today was making sure we had transparency with what went on,” Kaepernick said, per Sports Illustrated. “We weren’t getting that elsewhere so we came out here. I’ve been ready for three years. I’ve been denied for three years. We’re waiting for the 32 owners, 32 teams, Roger Goodell, all of them to stop running. To stop running from the truth. To stop running from the people. Around here we’re ready to play. We’re ready to go anywhere.”
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Colin Kaepernick Is Too Expensive for XFL Teams