Colin Kaepernick Is ‘Absolutely’ Committed To NFL Comeback
Colin Kaepernick has been working hard to remain in peak shape for a possible return to the NFL. It’s a mission he’s still on and says he’s “absolutely” committed to it.
Speaking with the I Am Athlete podcast on Monday (April 18), the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback addressed “unfinished business” on the field and is willing to return in a backup role. He even suggested the Seattle Seahawks as a potential destination.
"Five years of training behind the scenes," Kaepernick said, explaining he "without question" wants to return to the pro football league. "You don't do that if you don't have a passion and you don't believe you're gonna find a way on that field."
Kaepernick, who hasn’t played in the NFL since 2016, told the podcast that he intentionally kept quiet on football matters to dispel the notion he would be a distraction to interested teams. Despite NFL commissioner Roger Goodell openly encouraging teams to sign Kaep in 2020, when the league publicly acknowledged civil-rights issues the QB had protested by kneeling during his career, not one team has hosted the QB for a workout since his departure from the 49ers.
"I had the one meeting with Seattle in 2017," he explained, "And out of that (coach) Pete Carroll said, 'Hey, he's a starter; we have a starter,' and things moved on from there. But they don't have a starter right now."
Kaepernick also added that he doesn’t need a starting job for him to make an NFL return.
"More than anything, we're just looking for a chance to walk through a door," he said. "I'll handle the rest from there ... I know I have to find my way back in. So, yeah, if I have to come back in as a backup, that's fine. But that's not where I'm staying. And when I prove that I'm a starter, I wanna be able to step on the field as such. I just need that opportunity to walk through the door."
Kaepernick also added that he won’t be a distraction to teams, considering the NFL currently pledges to support the same issues he once advocated.
"I (would) say, 'You have 'End Racism' in your end zone. You got 'Black Lives Matter' on your helmets,” he said. “Everything I've said should be in alignment with what you're saying publicly.' When I first took a knee, my jersey went to No. 1 ... (More importantly), the NFL is supposed to be a meritocracy."
Watch the full podcast below.
