Kaepernick Gets an NFL Invite, but Some Are Skeptical

All teams are invited to watch free agent at private workout on Saturday, but conditions give pause
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 13, 2019 5:01 AM CST
Kaepernick Gets an NFL Invite, but Some Are Skeptical
In this Oct. 11, 2018, file photo, former NFL football quarterback Colin Kaepernick is seen at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass.   (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)

Will Colin Kaepernick soon be back in the game? ESPN got its hands on an NFL memo Tuesday inviting all 32 teams to attend a private workout for the out-of-work quarterback this Saturday in Atlanta, an event that will offer an interview with the 32-year-old and a chance to see what he can do on the field; teams can get video of both afterward. "We have ... arranged this opportunity for him to work out, and for all clubs to have the opportunity to evaluate his current readiness and level of interest in resuming his NFL career," the memo reads. CNN notes the location is undisclosed and there will be no media. In a tweet Tuesday, Kaepernick suggested he'd been taken off guard by the proposal, but he added, "I've been in shape and ready for this for 3 years, can't wait to see the head coaches and GMs on Saturday."

Kaepernick has been a free agent since he opted out of his contract at the end of the 2016 season, which is when he started protesting racial inequality by kneeling during the national anthem. He has long accused team owners of colluding to keep him from playing; he filed a complaint against the league in late 2017, which was settled in February. Per Fox News, Kaepernick posted on Instagram in September showing him working out, with a caption that mentioned "staying ready against the odds." Still, ESPN notes Kaepernick's people are wary, suspicious this might be an NFL PR maneuver: The teams were only informed about the workout on Tuesday, the league refused a request to push the event off, and it was scheduled for a Saturday, when most teams are traveling or prepping for games. What For the Win's Andy Nesbitt thinks Kaepernick should do? "Tell the NFL to go take a hike." (More Colin Kaepernick stories.)

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