Seahawks: Tyler Lockett expresses desire to play with Colin Kaepernick

Tyler Lockett saying he and his brother will run routes for Colin Kaepernick could open a pathway for him to compete for a job with the Seattle Seahawks.

Colin Kaepernick has been out of the NFL for five years, but a retweet by Tyler Lockett has Seattle Seahawks fans wondering about their team’s interest.

It is undeniable that Kaepernick sacrificed his playing career for social justice causes. While he has rarely been willing to put himself in front of a microphone as the voice of social justice warriors everywhere, Kaepernick always had the talent to compete for an NFL job. Now in his mid-30s, has enough changed in the world for him to get one last shot at playing in the league he once starred?

Here is Kaepernick’s tweet hoping to throw balls to professional route runners.

And here is Lockett’s quote tweet responding that he and his brother will help Kaepernick out.

Seattle Seahawks: Could Colin Kaepernick come play with Tyler Lockett?

The issue has never been if he can play in the NFL. It is what happens when the high-profile quarterback joins an NFL locker room. What if he gets cut?

While Seattle has long been one of the few places in the league where Kaepernick could conceivably work, this is no longer the same team it once was. The Seahawks are absolutely rebuilding, having just traded Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos. Though Kaepernick could battle the likes of Drew Lock for playing time in Seattle, the Seahawks may draft a quarterback.

Now that they have the No. 9 overall pick this spring from the Denver deal, it creates a pathway for Seattle to take either Kenny Pickett out of Pitt or Malik Willis out of Liberty with the top-10 selection. Either way, the rookie quarterback does not need the distraction that comes with bringing Kaepernick into the locker room, no matter how loose of a culture Pete Carroll runs.

Kaepernick may really want to play again, but five years out of the NFL is a very, very long time.