Kaepernick is ‘ready, willing’ to suit up for Washington
The Washington Redskins’ increasingly makeshift situation at quarterback has done nothing to end questions about why the team has been hesitant to sign Colin Kaepernick.
For his part, the noted free agent was reported Sunday to be “ready and willing” to play for Washington.
That’s according to Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports, who cited “two sources close to the former National Football League quarterback” in reporting that Kaepernick “would be willing to play for the Redskins as early as next week.”
“He’s a professional Super Bowl-calibre quarterback and in the best shape of his life, and he would play, if given the opportunity, on any NFL team,” a source told Robinson. His report was published shortly after the Redskins were drubbed by the Giants, 40-16, with starting quarterback Mark Sanchez playing poorly before being replaced by Josh Johnson.
Having lost not only their intended starter, Alex Smith, but also backup Colt McCoy to broken legs in a span of three weeks, the Redskins were forced to turn to Sanchez, who was signed after Smith went down in mid-November. A journeyman who had been used sparingly in recent years, Sanchez had a limited grasp of the playbook when he replaced McCoy last week, and he struggled mightily Sunday before giving way to Johnson.
On Tuesday, coach Jay Gruden said his team had “discussed” the possibility of bringing in Kaepernick for a workout but decided against it.
Kaepernick hasn’t played since the 2016 season, when he threw for 2,241 yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions in 11 games for the 49ers, posting a passer rating of 90.7 and adding 468 yards and two scores on the ground. San Francisco went 1-10 in those games en route to a 2-14 season, but Kaepernick had previously led the 49ers to two straight appearances in the NFC championship game, with one start in the Super Bowl, after the 2012 and 2013 seasons.
Redskins owner Daniel Snyder has reportedly been in favour of mandating that players stand during the anthem, but Gruden said the team opted to bypass Kaepernick for “strictly football” reasons. Kaepernick attorney Mark Geragos disputed that characterization, asking the Washington Post’s Kareem Copeland, “Isn’t it obvious what’s happening?”