The Raiders are the first NFL team to work out Colin Kaepernick since the Seahawks brought him in for a look in 2017.
Given Josh McDaniels’ history, that isn’t surprising.
McDaniels was mum about Kaepernick when asked about him Thursday, saying he only talks about players on his football team (where did he get that line from)? But reports from the workout were positive: NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport tweeted the “door is wide open,” while ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said the Raiders noted Kaepernick’s “arm strength and good overall conditioning.”
Kaepernick hasn’t played in the NFL since the 2016 season, when he started kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial injustice. He’s been seemingly blackballed from the league ever since.
Though Kaepernick struggled in his last two seasons — the 49ers went 3-16 in his starts — he led San Francisco to the NFC Championship in 2013 and was briefly one of the game’s more dynamic quarterbacks. He threw for over 3,000 yards in 2014 and rushed for 639.
McDaniels is probably fantasizing about some of the schemes he could draw up for him.
Back in 2010, McDaniels shocked the NFL world when the Broncos selected Tim Tebow in the first round of the draft. It didn’t work out: Tebow only lasted two seasons in Denver, as the Broncos jettisoned him to the Jets after signing Peyton Manning.
But McDaniels was fired 12 games into the 2010 campaign, so he didn’t receive an opportunity to fully develop his offense around Tebow. Still, it’s apparent McDaniels was enamored with Tebow’s mobility and athleticism.
That’s a trend. Heading into the 2018 NFL Draft, it was widely reported that McDaniels met privately with Lamar Jackson. Whispers were that McDaniels loved Jackson’s game.
One of McDaniels’ more impressive accomplishments as an offensive coordinator came in 2020, when he somehow milked seven wins out of Cam Newton and his noodle arm. Warren Moon said Thursday he can imagine McDaniels developing Tebow and Newton-like packages for Kaepernick.
On Thursday, McDaniels insisted Derek Carr knows the Raiders are his team. But a deeper look at Carr’s new extension indicates the Raiders may have some doubts. His $121.5 million extension doesn’t have any money guaranteed after the 2022 season.
It’s unlikely that McDaniels plans to push aside Carr for Kaepernick, of course. Kaepernick may not even be on the Raiders. But they’re the first team that’s been seriously interested in his services for five years.
That counts for something.