Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick wanders the sidelines before the start of a game against the Arizona Cardinals in November 2016. Photo by Art Foxall/UPI |
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The Seattle Seahawks postponed a workout for Colin Kaepernick after the free-agent quarterback declined to stop kneeling during the national anthem next season, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Thursday.
The Seahawks contacted Kaepernick approximately two weeks ago to arrange a visit before the plans were altered unexpectedly due to his anthem stance, Schefter reported, citing a source. Per Schefter, Kaepernick was unwilling to say that he would alter his anthem stance that began in 2016 as a means to protest police brutality and racial injustice.
The workout had been scheduled for Monday, according to Pro Football Talk, which added that it was only when the workout date approached that the Seahawks contacted Kaepernick to request that he commit to standing for the anthem.
Thursday's reports come three days after an apparent similar situation involving Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown and free-agent safety Eric Reid, who is a former teammate of Kaepernick with the San Francisco 49ers.
According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, Brown asked for Reid's reaction after telling him he plans to prohibit kneeling during the national anthem for the 2018 season.
Reid was the first teammate to kneel next to Kaepernick in the 2016 season.
The Seahawks visited with Kaepernick last year while the Baltimore Ravens publicly floated the notion of bringing in the quarterback last summer before electing against it.
Kaepernick filed a grievance against the NFL in October, claiming owners have colluded to keep him out of the league. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has insisted on several occasions that the 30-year-old Kaepernick isn't being blackballed.
In six NFL seasons, Kaepernick has passed for 12,271 yards with 72 touchdowns and 30 interceptions. He added another 2,300 yards and 13 scores on the ground.
Kaepernick passed for 2,241 yards with 16 touchdowns and four interceptions while fumbling a career-worst seven times with the 49ers in 2016. He also ran for 468 yards and two scores.
