Colin Kaepernick received his first chance to work out for an NFL team since last playing in the league in 2016 when he started kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality.
It remains to be seen if the Raiders will sign Kaepernick, but reports indicate their interest is legitimate.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Kaepernick’s workout was “largely considered a positive.”
“Was told two things stood out in Colin Kaepernick’s workout with Raiders: Arm strength and good overall conditioning,” Fowler said. “Workout was largely considered a positive. Let’s see where it goes from here.”
Kaepernick hasn’t played since the end of the 2016 season when he opted out of his contract when the new regime led by coach Kyle Shanahan wanted to go a different direction at quarterback.
Kaepernick never got another opportunity even to work out for NFL teams as he alleged he had been blackballed over his protests during the anthem the previous season. He met with Seattle and had informal talks with Baltimore but never got a closer look.
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Owner Mark Davis has publicly said he would back his coaches if they wanted to take a look at Kaepernick, and first-year coach Josh McDaniels is doing just that.
The Raiders don’t have a glaring need at quarterback after signing starter Derek Carr to an extension last month, but adding Kaepernick could provide a weapon for them if needed.
Kaepernick emerged as one of the league’s young stars when he took over as starter in San Francisco in 2012, and helped the Niners reach the Super Bowl that season.
His last year in 2016 saw him throw 16 TD passes and four interceptions in 12 games, while posting a 90.7 passer rating.
