Colin Kaepernick, who hasn't thrown a pigskin in the NFL since the 2016 season, got an official chance on Wednesday to show whether he can still perform at a professional level.
The New York Post reported that Kaepernick, 34, worked out with the Las Vegas Raiders this week. ESPN's Adam Schefter first broke the story. And according to NFL Network, this is Kaepernick's first workout with an NFL team since he departed from the 49ers.
Before his last game with the 49ers on Jan. 1, 2017, the famed quarterback's kneeling during games drew national attention.
In a 2016 ESPN report, Kaepernick said, regarding kneeling during games, that "for me, it was something that I couldn't see another 'hashtag Sandra Bland, hashtag Tamir Rice, hashtag Walter Scott, hashtag Eric Garner,' the list goes on and on and on. At what point do we do something about it? At what point do we take a stand and as a people say this isn't right? You have a badge, yes. You're supposed to be protecting us, not murdering us, and that's what the issue really is, and we need to change that."
In 2017, Kaepernick filed a grievance, accusing League owners of colluding to keep him from playing professionally. The NFL reached a settlement with Kaepernick in 2019.
Schefter said on ESPN's "NFL Live" that while Derek Carr is the Raiders' starting quarterback, the team is "looking to come up with as much depth as possible on the roster." Las Vegas, while speculating on the condition of Kaepernick, has recently added three other quarterbacks. They include Jarrett Stidham from the Patriots, Nick Mullens, whom they acquired in April, and undrafted free agent Chase Garbers.
Schefter also reported that "other teams have pondered" bringing on Kaepernick.
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