Getty Colin Kaepernick.
Since the Las Vegas Raiders worked out Colin Kaepernick on May 25, there’s been little momentum gained on the quarterback possibly signing with a team. NFL Hall of Famer and former Raider Warren Sapp didn’t help things when he told “Vlad TV” that Kaepernick had “one of the worst workouts ever” with Las Vegas. It’s unclear who Sapp’s sources are but he did play for the team and is one of the greatest players in NFL history so his words carry weight.
Kaepernick has been working hard to try and get back in the NFL. Sapp’s comments won’t help him achieve that. While the quarterback has remained silent on the matter, his agent came out and defended him. Jeff Nalley had a strong response to the claims from Sapp.
“I guess Warren didn’t talk to the General Manager or the head coach,” Nalley told Pro Football Talk. “I spoke to the G.M. [Dave Zieger] several times and he said they all thought Kap was in great shape and threw the ball really well and encouraged any team to call him about the workout and he would tell them the same. I’m surprised Warren would say that, because it’s not true and you would think he would want Kap on a team.”
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Who to Believe About Kaepernick Workout?
Only a handful of people would know if Kaepernick’s workout was truly a disaster. It’s entirely possible that Sapp has access to somebody who was present at the workout. Head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler haven’t addressed the workout in the media so it’s difficult to know what they believe.
That said, Kaepernick did put on a workout for the media in 2019. While he didn’t look like prime Peyton Manning, he didn’t look terrible. Far from “one of the worst workouts ever.” Now, that was almost three years ago and he could’ve fallen off quite a bit in that time span. If there’s a team interested in him, they’ll just have to see for themself.
Any Chance Raiders Still Sign Kaepernick?
As time passes, it appears the Raiders aren’t still considering Kaepernick. Derek Carr is entrenched as the starter while Jarrett Stidham has experience in McDaniels’ offense. Nick Mullens is capable of stepping in if Carr gets hurt, which doesn’t happen often.
Considering the team has a durable quarterback, the idea of bringing in a big name like Kaepernick might not be appealing. It doesn’t hurt the team that they took a look at him. They now have good intel in case Carr gets injured and they need a replacement. It’s unclear if Kaepernick is capable of being a starter and teams are apprehensive to give him a chance. As he gets older, the chances decrease that he’ll make a return. He’s stayed in shape in case he gets a chance but his name still carries a negative connotation for many people. The Raiders did him a solid by working him out but they appear to have moved on.
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