Colin Kaepernick invited to work out with the Raiders this week, his first with an NFL team since 2017: report
- Colin Kaepernick has scheduled a workout with the Las Vegas Raiders, according to ESPN.
- It's Kaepernick's first meeting with a team since 2017, and he has not played since 2016.
Colin Kaepernick is set to work out with the Las Vegas Raiders this week, league sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter, marking a potential return to the NFL for the quarterback.
Kaepernick last played in the NFL in 2016 when he famously kneeled during the national anthem in protest of racial injustice in America.
This week's workout would be the first time Kaepernick meets with an NFL team since he spoke with the Seattle Seahawks in 2017. That meeting didn't include a workout, however. Schefter reported at the time that the Seahawks asked Kaepernick if he would continue kneeling during the national anthem, and he declined to answer.
Kaepernick has continually said he is ready for a second shot in the NFL and has trained almost daily.
Kaepernick filed a collusion grievance against the NFL in October 2017 after going un-signed. He and the NFL agreed to a settlement in February 2019.
Kaepernick most recently threw to several receivers at the University of Michigan's spring game in April in front of several NFL scouts.
The league arranged a workout for Kaepernick to throw in front of NFL teams in 2019, but the plans fell apart over disagreements about release forms. Kaepernick ended up hosting his own workout, which fewer teams attended.
In an interview on the "I Am Athlete" podcast this year, Kaepernick argued that the NFL has since embraced many of the causes he stood for.
"You have 'End Racism' in the back of your end zone," Kaepernick said. "You have 'Black Lives Matter' on your helmet. Everything I've said should be in alignment with what you're saying publicly."
Reiterating his desire for the chance to just show what he can do, Kaepernick continued: "If you're talking about the playing side, come in, let me compete. You can evaluate me from there. The NFL's supposed to be a meritocracy. Come in, let me compete. If I'm not good enough, get rid of me. But let me come in and show you."