QBs down, so Kaepernick’s agent works the phones

Colin Kaepernick’s agent has reportedly been working the phones during a rough week for NFL quarterbacks.

“Colin is literally in the best shape of his life,” a source close to Kaepernick told Sports Net New York on Tuesday. “He’s been working out five days a week at 5 a.m. for three years. He wants to play, and his agent has been contacting teams in need of a quarterback.”

The Pittsburgh Steelers, New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers and New York Jets are all dealing with injuries to their starters this week; the Jacksonville Jaguars lost their starter in Week 1.

Kaepernick, 31, passed for 72 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in 69 games for the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-16.

Kaepernick reached an undisclosed settlement in February with the NFL after filing a lawsuit alleging collusion by NFL teams to keep him out of the league because of his activism, including kneeling during the national anthem before games while playing with the 49ers. ***

Former first-round pick Paxton Lynch was signed to the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad on Tuesday.

The Steelers are in need of depth at quarterback with Ben Roethlisberger to have elbow surgery and injured reserve. Mason Rudolph was elevated from backup to starter but Pittsburgh had only two quarterbacks on the roster, having traded Joshua Dobbs to the Jacksonville Jaguars last week. The Steelers drafted Rudolph, from Oklahoma State, in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

For now, Rudolph will be backed up by undrafted Devlin Hodges, promoted from the practice squad.

Lynch spent training camp with the Seahawks. He was a first-round pick of the Denver Broncos in 2016 out of Memphis.

Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri is working to clear the “demons” from his head amid a rocky stretch, but he said he has not considered retiring, contrary to speculation in recent days.

Speculation about his possible retirement mounted after Sunday’s game — in which Vinatieri missed two extra points — when the kicker declined to speak to the media but said they would “hear from me” on Monday, normally the players’ off-day.

The 24th-year veteran is focused on shaking his cold streak, which includes seven missed kicks in his past three games, dating back to January.

“I’m going to work a lot this week to get those demons out,” Vinatieri said.

Vinatieri turns 47 in December.

The Colts (2-0) host Atlanta (1-1) on Sunday.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton sat out practice on Tuesday after aggravating a foot injury, NFL Network reported.

Newton was rehabbing the injury as his teammates practised. The 30-year-old pivot sprained his left foot in a pre-season game last month against New England.

Reuters