After Colin Kaepernick's workout on Nov. 16, his camp didn't sound too optimistic about the possibility of the quarterback landing an NFL job, and it seems their instincts were right -- at least so far -- because apparently, Kaepernick hasn't been contacted by anyone in the eight days since his workout session in Atlanta.
According to ESPN.com, Kaepernick has basically been ignored by NFL teams, who haven't called to invite him in for either a visit or a private workout. The fact that Kaepernick hasn't signed with anyone isn't a huge shock, and that's because an NFL executive told NFL..com last week that the belief around the league was that most teams were going to the workout to check out Kaepernick with an eye on signing him in 2020, if they were going to sign him at all. However, it is somewhat surprising that Kaepernick hasn't received a single phone call from any of the 32 teams.
During Kaepernick's workout in Atlanta, there were a total of seven teams in attendance, and for the 25 that didn't attend, Kaepernick's camp made sure to send each team a video of the workout. Even after sending out the video, the quarterback still didn't hear back from a single team, which probably isn't that surprising to his agent, Jeff Nalley, who pretty much expected his client to go unsigned.
"I hope so, but I don't know," Nalley said when asked on Nov. 16 about Kaepernick possibly getting signed. "I'll be honest, I'm a little bit pessimistic because I've talked to all 32 teams. I've reached out to them recently, and none of them have had any interest. I'll tell you this: No team asked for this workout. The league office asked for this workout."
Although the NFL originally planned the entire workout for Kaepernick, the quarterback cut ties with the league and held his own event after the two sides couldn't agree on multiple issues, including the wording in his workout waiver and whether or not media would be allowed to attend the event. After Kaepernick went rogue, multiple teams decided not to attend the event.
A total of 25 teams were expected to have a representative at the workout, but after Kaepernick's team switched the location, 18 of them backed out. As CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora first reported, the seven teams that stayed to watch the workout were the Eagles, Chiefs, Redskins, Jets, Titans, 49ers and Lions.
If Kaepernick doesn't get a call soon, that doesn't necessarily mean he'll be giving up on his dream to return to the NFL. As things currently stand, the quarterback is considering the possibility of holding a second workout, but this time, he would do it so all 32 teams would easily be able to attend.
To make that happen, Kaepernick would hold the workout during the NFL Annual League Meeting, which is scheduled to take place from March 29-April 1 in Palm Beach, Florida. Since nearly every head coach, general manager and owner would be at that meeting, Kaepernick is clearly figuring that many of them would make their way to his workout if he were to hold one.
Following his 40-minute workout in Atlanta, Kaepernick said he wanted NFL owners to stop running from him, and holding a private workout just minutes away from them is one way to make that happen.
"So we're waiting for the 32 owners, the 32 teams, Roger Goodell, all of them to stop running, stop running from the truth, stop running from the people," Kaepernick said on Nov. 16. "Around here, we're ready to play, we're ready to go anywhere, my agent Jeff Nalley is ready to talk to any team. I'll interview with any team at any time."
After nearly three years of being shunned by the league, Kaepernick says it's time for them to invite him back.
"I've been ready for three years," Kaepernick said. "I've been denied for three years. We all know why I came out here. [I] showed it today in front of everybody. We have nothing to hide."
The fact of the matter is that the upcoming offseason will likely represent Kaepernick's best -- and possibly last -- hope to land an NFL job. With multiple teams -- like the Titans, Panthers, Buccaneers, Broncos, Bears Dolphins, and possibly even the Patriots and Chargers -- expected to be the market for a quarterback, it will become pretty clear that his career has been put on ice if he doesn't get called for a single workout this offseason.
