Former San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick is suddenly the talk of the football world again after the NFL arranged a private workout for him in Atlanta this weekend. Kaepernick has been away from the NFL for nearly three years in a contentious situation centered on his protests of police brutality and social injustice.
While the Kansas City Chiefs are set at the quarterback position, Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt knows general manager Brett Veach to be the diligent type. The two haven’t discussed sending a representative to the workout, but it wouldn’t come as a shock to Hunt if Veach did.
“I haven’t had a chance to speak with Brett about it yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he sent someone because Brett likes to turn over every stone,” Hunt said. “We are in a pretty good spot from a quarterback standpoint, with four on the roster right now. But Brett likes to be really thorough in his due diligence.”
Hunt was taken aback when he learned that the league would host a workout for Kaepernick. After all, it’s not commonplace for the league to get involved and provide players with workout opportunities beyond the annual scouting combine.
“I read the release from the league yesterday and I have not been a part of any discussions with the league about that happening,” Hunt said. “I was probably as surprised as anybody.”
While there have been some rumors connecting Kaepernick to the Chiefs over the past several years, Hunt was unaware of any serious discussions taking place. As for what Kaepernick might have left in the tank after being away from the game for nearly three years, Hunt expects that the workout will go a long way toward answering that question.
“It’s something that I really can’t speak to,” Hunt said. “I think every player in every situation is different. This workout will probably go part of the way towards answering that question, and that’s probably why he and his representatives wanted to do it.”
Kaepernick’s situation is about as different as they come and certainly has generated some intrigue across the league.