NFL Teams Reportedly Had ‘Fake’ Interest In Colin Kaepernick: “Seemingly Out Of Guilt”

On August 26, 2016, Colin Kaepernick began his kneeling demonstration to protest police brutality and social injustice.

The decision sparked a ripple effect of protests across the league but also garnered widespread hate and criticism over what many initially believed to be unpatriotic and the disrespect of the American flag. By the end of the season, as the 49ers planned to cut him, Kaepernick opted out of his contract and continued his work as an activist.

It wasn’t until the May death of George Floyd, by a Minneapolis police officer, that the majority, including the NFL, began to understand the real meaning behind Kaepernick’s protest. So much so that Roger Goodell felt inclined to apologize to the quarterback, saying, “We were wrong…I wish we had listened earlier.”

By June, several teams expressed interest in signing Kaepernick, according to Mike Silver of NFL Network. At the time, Mike Garafolo even reported that organizations reached out to Kaep’s associations, with interest, Bleacher Report reports. But now, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, there was never a real offer available for Kaepernick.

“Per a source with knowledge of the situation, there was some ‘fake’ interest expressed immediately after [George] Floyd’s death, seemingly out of guilt,” Florio said. “There has been zero interest expressed as to Kaepernick ‘in months.’”

Kaepernick held a workout in November 2019, in an attempt to land a contract. But, he remained unsigned after ditching an NFL-planned workout.