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Colin Kaepernick could still figure in the plans of the Seattle Seahawks. At least that's the public stance of Seattle general manager John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll, who are keeping open the possibility of looking at Kaepernick to serve as a backup to starting quarterback Russell Wilson.
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"We are in everything and we never close the door," Schneider said at a charity event Thursday night, per the Seattle Times. "We wouldn't be doing our jobs if we closed the door on things and didn't keep an open mind on everything."
The comments come as a bit of surprise after the Seahawks postponed a visit with Kaepernick last week amid conflicting reports that his stance on kneeling for the national anthem was a deciding factor.
Addressing the topic for the first time since the initial reports surfaced, Schneider refused to directly comment on whether he asked Kaepernick about kneeling. Kaepernick hasn't played since he was released by the San Francisco 49ers in March 2017.
"That's what I can't get into,'' said Schneider. " That's stuff that, not just Colin but anybody we are bringing in, whether it's a free agent workout we are talking about. ... so obviously it's pretty controversial, I understand that. But anyone we would bring in there are a number of things we go through, tons of different categories in the background before we bring guys in.''
Since putting off the visit with Kaepernick, Seattle has signed a pair of quarterbacks -- Austin Davis, who made eight starts for the Rams in 2014 and Stephen Morris, who has never played a down in the NFL.
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.
Carroll also would not directly discuss whether the team asked Kaepernick to commit to standing for the anthem -- "I'm not going there" -- but acknowledges the team at the position after backup Trevone Boykin was released last month following his arrest on domestic violence accusations.
"We are trying to figure it out," Carroll said Thursday night. "The discussion and the opportunity is still open."
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Seattle cancelled the workout after Kaepernick declined to stop kneeling during the national anthem next season. However, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that Kaepernick's stance on the anthem had no bearing on the postponement.
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.
