The NFL will host a private workout for free-agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick in Atlanta on Saturday which means we could see him back on an NFL field very soon. All 32 teams are invited to attend, but the question is why have the workout at all when a team can simply bring Kaepernick in for a workout and sign him? According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, teams are confused about the scheduling and purpose of the workout. With the workout taking place on a Saturday, that means most, if not all coaches won’t attend because they are getting ready for a game the following day.
That has led to experts and players questioning the validity of the workout. Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk wrote, “All of this feels like further evidence that the workout is a sham. If the NFL were serious about giving Kaepernick an opportunity to show what he can do, the workout could have been conducted in the offseason at a time when coaches and general managers were available to attend. Conducting the interview on a Saturday when most NFL teams are getting ready for a game the next day, and announcing it only days in advance, makes this workout appear to be something other than an honest attempt to give Kaepernick a fair shake.”
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Kaepernick’s former teammate and current Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid also feels like the NFL is doing this to save face.
“It feels like the same play from the NFL,” Reid told reporters on Wednesday. “It feels disingenuous. They told Colin that he has the opportunity and that the league will send representatives from each team. It’s the Saturday before a game. Teams are traveling on Saturdays. What head coach or GM is going to be able to make this trip?”
It was also reported that Kaepernick had two hours to decide if he wanted to attend the workout or not and he had no say in the date and location. The good news for the former 49ers quarterback is there will be representatives from a few teams attending the workout including the Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots and the host team Atlanta Falcons. Also, the entire workout will be recorded and it will be made available for all 32 teams.
