It’s been five years since Colin Kaepernick last played in the NFL. Needless to say, such a long layoff would pretty much kill every player’s career. But even after half a decade, he’s still in game shape and looking to get back to the league.
Kaepernick was struggling on the field before all the kneeling controversy. His accuracy was off, and he looked far from the player who led the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl. But then again, he was still better than at least one-third of the QBs in the league.
Still, people saw his workout with the Las Vegas Raiders with plenty of skepticism. It seems like he’s been away for far too long already. Nonetheless, Peter King still believes he’s got a shot at making the roster, albeit a tiny one:
NFL News: Peter King Says Raiders Will Keep Colin Kapernick On The ‘Ready List’
(Transcript via NBC Sports)
“Let me tell you a story from my years covering the Giants in the eighties. 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. That’s the way smart NFL people do business. In fact, I heard last week the Raiders have worked out two kickers this month, even though Las Vegas employs one of the best kickers in football, Daniel Carlson. Be ready for emergencies, always.
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 Mullens, leaving the Raiders with a roster spot to be filled by a quarterback.”
Well, that may not be the answer Kaep fans were waiting for, but it’s at least something. The NFL robbed him of his career, and he may never be back on the field. But at least there’s still some hope.
