A decade ago, Colin Kaepernick was one of the most talked-about players in the NFL. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback’s decision to kneel for the National Anthem quickly became one of the most polarizing political subjects in the country.
Kaepernick’s play on the field had declined at that point, and he was a backup, so teams across the NFL didn’t think it’d be worth it to bring him in. He staged workouts over the years to try to drum up interest, but it never led to anything.
That was until the Las Vegas Raiders decided to give him a workout in 2022, when Josh McDaniels was the head coach. That came six years after he took his last NFL snap.
The Raiders kept very quiet about the workout, and it never leaked how good he looked. Hall of Fame defensive tackle Warren Sapp said he heard the workout didn’t go well, but that’s never been confirmed.
At 38, Kaepernick’s dream of playing in the NFL again is almost certainly over. He’s releasing a memoir soon called “The Perilous Fight.” Ahead of its release, Kaepernick gave an interview to NBC News. In the interview, he told the outlet that the workout for the Raiders was actually the closest he got to getting another chance with an NFL team.
Kaepernick Believes He Has Been Blackballed
Nothing ever came from the Raiders giving him a workout. At the time, Derek Carr was entrenched as the starting quarterback. The team was merely looking for a backup.
If there’s one team that doesn’t care about getting negative blowback from the NFL, it’s the Raiders, especially fresh off the heels of the Jon Gruden scandal. That said, the team signing him would’ve led to backlash from more than just the NFL.
According to Kaepernick, he’s intentionally being blackballed by the league.
“I’m not gonna support an organization that one, is actively blackballing me, but two, has targeted my brothers who have been protesting as part of this as well,” Kaepernick told NBC News. “I watch college football.”
No team is going to call up Kaepernick about playing quarterback at this point. His former head coach Jim Harbaugh is the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, so perhaps a coaching job could be of interest, but that also seems unlikely.
Kaepernick Hoping to Have Positive Legacy
While there are many people who are not fans of Kaepernick’s political stances, he has inspired a lot of people over the years. It’s also easy to forget that he led a team to the Super Bowl as a starting quarterback.
He’ll likely be defined by his National Anthem protests, but when people look back at him, he’s hoping that the feelings aren’t negative.
“What I think about is what are the areas that I can do work that I think are going to have an impact and help us move towards that future together,” Kaepernick said. “At the end of the day, people will decide what that legacy is, and hopefully that’s a positive one.”
Colin Kaepernick Gives New Insight Into Previous Workout With Raiders