Seahawks postpone Colin visit
The Seattle Seahawks postponed a workout with free- agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick after he declined to stop kneeling in protest during the national anthem, ESPN reported. It’s unclear when the visit might be rescheduled, but it isn’t being described as cancelled yet.
NFL. com also reported the meeting had been postponed, although it said the Seahawks “asked for [ Kaepernick’s] plan moving forward on how to handle everything, and there was not a firm plan.” The Seattle Times reported that Kaepernick’s refusal to lay out how he’d handle his off- field activities resulted in the postponed meeting.
Kaepernick has become a lightning rod the last two years because of his activism. The former 49er began kneeling to protest police brutality and the treatment of minorities during the national anthem in 2016 and has not backed down from his public comments.
NFL teams have shied away from Kaepernick even though countless other players at his position with less impressive résumés have received contracts. Kaepernick sat out the 2017 season after failing to receive any offers. The Seahawks are in need of a backup quarterback behind Russell Wilson and have familiarity with Kaepernick, who played in the same division.
The reports suggested that the Seahawks wanted a firm idea of how Kaepernick planned to continue his activism, and he was unwilling or unable to provide that answer.
Former 49ers safety Eric Reid also recently revealed that he was asked by the Bengals to stop kneeling during the anthem. Reid, who remains a free agent, was among the first players to join Kaepernick’s protest.
Kaepernick was deposed by the NFL this week as part of the collusion complaint he filed against the league this year. It’s possible the proceedings could drag into 2019, according to Yahoo.