It looks like Colin Kaepernick‘s hopes of signing with an NFL team are still alive. Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll talked to reporters this week and discussed the time he brought in Kaepernick for a team visit in 2017. Carroll said recently one team called him about Kaepernick. It led to the Super Bowl-winning head coach getting the impression at least one team is interested in the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback.
“After all of the time, the years that have passed, I never received a phone call about it,” Carroll said per ESPN. “I never talked to another head coach about it. I never talked to anyone about it until today. I got a phone call today. I won’t tell you who it was but I got a phone call today inquiring about the situation, so I know somebody is interested.”
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There will be speculation about which team has shown interest, but Kaepernick may not be looking for a team right now had the Seahawks made the move in 2017. Kaepernick opted out of his contract with the 49ers earlier that year after protesting during the national anthem in 2016. Carroll revealed why he didn’t sign Kaepernick, stating: “I held him in such a high regard I didn’t see him as a backup quarterback and I didn’t want to put him in that situation with [Russell Wilson].” When asked about signing him now, Carroll added: “We’re kind of set up right now, so football-wise, it doesn’t seem to fit us like I said. But there’s a lot of time here. We’ll see what happens.”
The interest in Kaepernick has renewed due to the protests of racial and social injustice going on in the country following the death of George Floyd, a Minneapolis man who died in police custody on May 25 after an officer kneeled on his neck for over eight minutes. There have been several players who have asked the league to bring Kaepernick back, but ultimately, it’s up to one team making the decision to sign him since he’s a free agent.
Kaepernick was a member of the 49ers from 2011-2016. He has played in 69 games with 58 starts and thrown for 12,271 yards, 72 touchdowns and 30 interceptions. He led the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance in 2013.
