Free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick will hold a workout this weekend for NFL teams — the latest development in Kaepernick’s quest to return to professional football after years of what could easily be described as exile. Kaepernick was, of course, the one who begun the movement of professional athletes kneeling for the national anthem to raise awareness of police brutality and racial inequalities in America — a movement that has since inspired numerous athletes to follow suit. And while safety Eric Reid, WR Kenny Stills and others have had no problem finding work since they begun kneeling, Kaepernick has remained on the fringe of football.
Perhaps this will change that. Former Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson has been asked by the NFL to run the workout for Kaepernick — and as many as eleven NFL franchises have confirmed they will be in attendance, including the Miami Dolphins.
Dolphins HC Brian Flores says the Dolphins will send someone to Colin Kaepernick's workout on Saturday. Here's everything he had to say about Kaepernick on Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/cDpYbuMKeG
— Clay Ferraro (@ClayWPLG) November 13, 2019
Doing due diligence on all players, as Flores worded it, is a good habit for all NFL teams to get into. To operate as a closed minded organization or not explore all opportunities to get better as a team is only doing yourself a disservice. And so the Dolphins should be commended for their awareness to the need to get better and their willingness to explore all options to do so.
Of all the teams scheduled to be in attendance, there’s little doubt the Dolphins are the most quarterback hungry team of all of them. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the 11 teams to have committed to tomorrow’s workout include Miami, Arizona, Atlanta, Cleveland Denver, Detroit, New England, both the Jets and Giants, Tampa Bay and Washington.
What impact the workout will have on any team’s inclination to take the plunge and sign Kaepernick to a contract is still yet to be determined, but the fact that the NFL is positioning team representatives to get in front of Kaepernick and assess his fitness and football shape is the biggest sign yet that it may perhaps be time for a return to the league.
[protected-iframe id=”6e8b8892e9038fd158063dda352df4de-105974726-152780023″ info=”https://art19.com/shows/e34d7967-9a7d-4b90-9a57-ec61905a7e96/embed?playlist_type=playlist” scrolling=”no”]