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People have been waiting for solid Colin Kaepernick-related signing news for over a year now, ever since he parted ways with the San Francisco 49ers in 2017 and is yet to sign a single NFL contract, and the Seattle Seahawks seemed a natural fit. The Seahawks already had a preeminent social activism figure with Michael Bennett, who was protesting during the national anthem last season, and they have a need for a quality backup to Russell Wilson; Kaepernick could become the most talented backup QB in the NFL and seems as capable as any potential backup to run the same system as Wilson, but the two sides could not come to an agreement when they met last year and Seattle has apparently postponed a scheduled upcoming workout with the 30-year-old QB. This could have been for any number of reasons, including a difference of opinion on what Kaepernick is worth, and if he even wanted to sign somewhere without a chance to compete to start, but on Thursday reports from several sources emerged citing different theories on why the two sides are not meeting like they planned to.
After arranging for Colin Kaepernick to work out for the Seahawks this week, Seattle postponed the trip when the quarterback declined to stop kneeling during the national anthem next season, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 12, 2018
More ahead on NFL Live now.
ESPN’S Adam Schefter says that it was because Kaepernick said he’d continue to kneel during the national anthem in 2018. This would be rather significant news both for Kaepernick (previous reports said that he would no longer protest before games) and the Seahawks (who supported players protesting in the past). But the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport had a slightly different story:
The #Seahawks did postpone a tentatively scheduled workout with Colin Kaepernick, as @AdamSchefter reported. It was not because he said he declined to stop kneeling, tho. The team asked for his plan moving forward on how to handle everything and there was not a firm plan.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 12, 2018
Rapoport corroborated the report that the Seahawks postponed a scheduled workout with Kaepernick, but said it was because they wanted him to have a “plan moving forward on how to handle everything” and that he didn’t have a firm plan.
It does seem that in both cases, Kaepernick is not willing to make a firm commitment that he won’t sit or kneel during the national anthem next season. In both cases, it seems that the Seahawks do find it important to know what a free agent’s “plans” are in that regard. In any case, they still have a need for a backup QB and Kaepernick is still a free agent.
#Seahawks brass, John Schneider and Pete Carroll, want Colin Kaepernick to consider how he wants to proceed on everything (not just anthem) and get together at a later date when his plans are formed. Clearly, Seattle has accepted players speaking out for what they believe.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 12, 2018
Seahawks postpone Colin Kaepernick’s scheduled visit after he won’t say if he’ll stop kneeling:https://t.co/QSMVpPMr6j https://t.co/QSMVpPMr6j
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 12, 2018