Getty Pete Carroll's Seahawks say they are happy with new quarterback Drew Lock.
Few teams have been linked to Colin Kaepernick more than the Seattle Seahawks and now the franchise has a giant hole to fill at quarterback. Kaepernick had the internet buzzing after posting a workout video days after teams like the Seahawks and Colts made trades leaving them with a QB1 vacancy.
“Still Working,” Kaepernick tweeted on March 10.
This immediately prompted speculation that the Seahawks could take another look at Kaepernick as the team begins the post-Russell Wilson era. The Seahawks were the first team to give Kaepernick a workout in 2017.
“Pete Carroll’s stated reason for not signing Colin Kaepernick years ago no longer applies,” The News Tribune’s Gregg Bell noted as he reposted Kaepernick’s video. “The Seahawks don’t have an experienced, proven starting quarterback anymore.”
The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar also retweeted the video along with a 2017 quote from Pete Carroll about the team’s interest in Kaepernick.
“’He’s a starter in this league, and we have a starter’ – 2017 Pete Carroll, who no longer has a starting QB,” Dugar explained.
ALL the latest Seahawks news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Seahawks newsletter here!
Schefter: Kaepernick Is ‘in the Best Shape of His Life,’ Per Source
Still Working
After Kaepernick’s tweet, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the former quarterback is said to be in the “best shape of his life.” Kaepernick is looking to land with an NFL team after the recent quarterback carousel but has not been on a roster since the 2016 season.
“Colin Kaepernick is still working out and is said to be, in the words of one source, ‘in the best shape of his life. He wants to play. He’s ready play. He would be a great fit for teams with QB vacancies to fill who want to win a Super Bowl,'” Schefter detailed on Twitter on March 10.
Seahawks Insider Views Seattle Signing Kaepernick as ‘Unlikely’
At least publicly, Carroll has been one of Kaepernick’s most vocal supporters. Yet, Kaepernick has not played in an NFL game since 2017 making a comeback challenging. The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta views the Seahawks signing Kaepernick as “unlikely.”
“The Wilson trade itself seems proof to never rule out anything,” Condotta wrote on March 10. “But an initial thought is that it’s unlikely.
“One reason is the simple football reality that Kaepernick has not played in an NFL game since Jan. 1, 2017 — interestingly enough, a 25-23 loss to the Seahawks — or been on a roster since then, and he turns 35 in November.
“That isn’t his fault, but from a strict football standpoint, it would be a consideration for any team thinking about it, and would almost certainly mean needing to bring him in for a workout and physical first.”
Could the Seahawks Bring Kaepernick in for a Workout?
Even if the Seahawks do not sign Kaepernick, it would not be a surprise if Seattle opts to at least give the quarterback a workout. Kaepernick threw for 2,241 yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions while completing 59.2% of his passes in 12 appearances for the Niners in 2016. The quarterback also added 468 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
“I regret that we weren’t the one way back when that just did it just to do it, even though I thought that it wasn’t the right fit necessarily for us at the time,” Carroll said of Kaepernick in June 2020, per Condotta. “The reason it wasn’t the right fit is because I held him in such a high regard I didn’t see him as a backup quarterback and I didn’t want to put him in that situation with Russ. It just didn’t feel like it would fit right.”