Football insiders question why Kaepernick workout is happening now
The NFL organized a workout for Colin Kaepernick on Saturday in Atlanta. At least 11 NFL teams have RSVP'd.
It's an unusual move for the league to host something like this for a single player, especially one as controversial as Kaepernick, CBS News correspondent Kenneth Craig reports. Some football insiders are wondering: Why now?
The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback hasn't played in the NFL since January 2017. His pregame protests over police brutality during the national anthem — at first by sitting and then kneeling — ignited a firestorm. Kaepernick sued the NFL for colluding to keep him out of the league and the two sides settled in February.
Former Green Bay Packers Vice President Andrew Brandt said the NFL felt like it had to do something.
"I think the NFL has had enough blowback from the media, from fans, from narratives, from people around Kaepernick, from players. Why isn't this guy getting a chance?" he said.
"This is telling Kaepernick and the world … we let in all these teams to see him. It's not our fault if they don't sign him. … Don't blame us."
Brandt called the mid-season tryout unprecedented.
"There will be no head coaches at this workout and likely there will be no general managers at this workout," he said.
Brandt said "the likelihood that Kaepernick is signed this year is slim to none."
"I think the best case result for Colin Kaepernick out of this workout is signing what is called a futures contract for 2020 and beyond," he said.
Video of Kaepernick's workout and interview will be made available to all 32 NFL teams.