Colin Kaepernick works out in Seattle with a Seahawk, but not with the Seahawks. Not yet
Colin Kaepernick was in Seattle for a workout.
It wasn’t with the Seahawks.
Not yet, anyway.
The former San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl quarterback, out of the league since kneeling to protest police brutality and social justice during the 2016 season was on the University of Washington campus Wednesday, according to Kaepernick’s business partner Ben Meiselas. Kaepernick was throwing to Seahawks wide receiver Aaron Fuller and others in the Dempsey Indoor practice field next to Husky Stadium.
Fuller is a former UW Husky. He was on the practice squad last season then signed a futures contract with Seattle for the 2022 offseason and preseason.
Last week, Kaepernick worked out with Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett. After that throw-and-catch session, Lockett proclaimed on Twitter: “That man Kap is ready!!” to return to the NFL.
Will the Seahawks give him that chance?
Kaepernick has talked to Seahawks coach Pete Carroll recently about possibly joining Seattle’s team, which traded Russell Wilson to Denver this month. The two quarterbacks on the Seahawks’ roster have a total of 21 career NFL starts: Drew Lock (21) and Jacob Eason (zero).
Carroll and the Seahawks were the only ones in the NFL to have Kaepernick in on a free-agent visit in 2017. Seattle didn’t sign him then, Carroll said, because he is an starting-caliber quarterback in this league and the Seahawks had that in Wilson. Carroll said in the summer of 2020 he regretted not signing Kaepernick either in 2017 or ‘18 to be with Wilson in Seattle.
Now Wilson is on the Broncos. Will Carroll bring Kaepernick, who at 34 is a year older than Wilson, in for a tryout to compete for the post-Russell Wilson Seahawks?
“We’re still...we’re watching him,” Carroll said Tuesday on KIRO-FM radio in Seattle. “He’s been working out and doing a lot, a lot, of good things trying to get prepared for an opportunity here. It’s amazing that he’s stayed with it for all these years, because it just shows you his resolve to try to prove that he can play.
“I think a lot of the effort he’s made to this point, so...”
Last week, in a press conference with general manager John Schneider at team headquarters in Renton to explain the trade of Wilson, Carroll said of Kaepernick and a Seahawks tryout: “I don’t know that, I don’t know that.
“He’s making a remarkable bid for it, to sustain his conditioning over the four years that he’s been out, going on five. Who knows?
“I don’t know, we’ll see.”
Carroll has said the Seahawks want to re-sign for 2022 veteran Geno Smith. The former starter for the New York Jets has been Wilson’s backup the last two seasons.
Tuesday, Carroll was asked on KJR Tuesday whether the Seahawks are set with Lock, Eason and Smith as they quarterbacks for this coming season.
“It’s competition, now, you know,” Carroll said. “We are trying to get it as competitive as possible. Like always, like we’ve said to you numerous times, we are going to keep competing. It’s going to be a great competition, like it was when — take it back to (2012) when (signed veteran free agent) Flynn and Russell were going at it, Matt Flynn and T-Jack (2011 Seahawks starter Tarvaris Jackson). Those guys went at it. And that came out to where Russ won the job.
“We’ll see what happens in this deal. ...
“We’ll keep listening and learning and watching. John is always going to be on it.
“We’re up for everything.”
This story was originally published March 23, 2022 at 2:51 PM with the headline "Colin Kaepernick works out in Seattle with a Seahawk, but not with the Seahawks. Not yet."
