The Las Vegas Raiders worked out free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick last week, the first session Kaepernick has had with a team in over five years.
Reports indicated Kaepernick threw well and the Raiders were legitimately curious to see him in action. As of now though, the 34-year-old signal caller remains unsigned.
Kaepernick has not played in the NFL since 2016, the year he began protesting racial injustice during the national anthem. Just the fact the Raiders worked him out was noteworthy, considering how the league has stayed away from the former 49ers QB.
Earlier today, NBC Sports’ Peter King offered his thoughts on the meaning behind the Raiders’ interest in Kaepernick. The longtime league scribe drew on Las Vegas head coach Josh McDaniels’ quote about the team “working out a ton of guys” as well his own experience covering Bill Parcells to reach a conclusion.
“Coach Bill Parcells, at games, used to carry in his back pocket what he called his “Ready List,” a list with two or three prime unsigned players at each position. That way, if the Giants had an injury during a game, Parcells could check the Ready List and direct pro scout Tim Rooney to get Player X to the Giants’ facility so he could be signed by the next day. Parcells was famous for working out players to see if they’d be a fit in a time of need, and continually update the list as the year went on.
When I heard McDaniels say the Raiders had worked out a ton of guys, I thought of the Ready List, and thought of the ton of guys McDaniels and Ziegler saw Bill Belichick direct the Patriots to work out when they worked under Belichick….My guess is McDaniels and Ziegler have that Ready List, for sure, and the workout of Kaepernick was to see where he might fall on that list in case the Raiders get an injury at quarterback. Or in case another team gets a quarterback hurt and trades for [backup Nick]Mullens, leaving the Raiders with a roster spot to be filled by a quarterback.
After Kaepernick’s workout was in the books, we wrote that there are three ways things could play out. One was that the Raiders wouldn’t sign him right away, but might potentially revisit the possibility of adding him later this offseason or during the regular season.
We’ll see if that winds up happening.