Colin Kaepernick rumors: Ready to play?
By John McCarty
Will Colin Kaepernick have a job in the NFL this season? Maybe, but reports indicate he certainly wants one.
As dust settles from the NFL Draft and rookie minicamps have come and gone, the top headline dominating the slow portion of the offseason is former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
Perhaps the greatest cause of the discussion is that we’ve heard nothing from Kaepernick or his camp. Nothing about his contract demands, which may or may not be prohibitive based on previous production. Or his well-documented out spoken views and social activism, including refusal to stand during the national anthem.
The point is, no one really knows what is going on.
That was until MMQB’s Peter King was able to interview trainer Josh Hidalgo, the man who has been helping Kaepernick get ready for a possible upcoming season.
As King points out, Kaepernick needs to break his silence and let it be known his interest in playing football and his preparation to do so, as thus far this offseason, the only ‘communication’ from Kaepernick has been social justice awareness related.
However, based on comments from Hidalgo, Kaepernick intends to at least try to play this upcoming season.
"“Colin has been there since January, training with me five days a week. We have been getting ready for football as if he was a starting quarterback for an NFL team. When I read that people don’t know if Colin wants to play football … This guy’s been doing it five hours a day, five days a week, like he has a starting NFL job. And we don’t take days off.”"
As King points out, if Kaepernick is physically ready and focused on football for this upcoming season, there is really no reason why Kaepernick is still unemployed. Far worse quarterbacks have found homes this off season, including former teammate Blaine Gabbert, now a member of the Arizona Cardinals.
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There has been reported interest by the Seattle Seahawks in both Kaepernick and Robert Griffin III. Both are former starters who have fallen out of favor around the league for different reasons and circumstances. One has to wonder, if Seattle passes on Colin, where is the next possible landing spot?