After five years out of football, Colin Kaepernick seems more determined than ever to make it back to the NFL and based on the assessment of one of the trainers who has worked him this month, he might actually have a chance.
That trainer's name is David Robinson and after holding a throwing session with the 34-year-old in Dallas earlier this month, Robinson is convinced that Kaepernick has what it takes to make it back to the NFL.
"[Kaepernick] definitely has the ability to play on somebody's roster," Robinson told TMZ. "Like, a couple of the guys that were in the session that were on NFL teams were saying that his arm is just as strong as guys that we got on our roster right now and can play... He looked real good."
Kaepernick has looked so good that five NFL teams have actually called Robinson to get a first-hand account of how the training sessions are going.
"A few teams have reached out to me and asked how his arm looked," Robinson said. "They have reached out and asked about him."
Unfortunately, Robinson didn't name the teams that have reached out.
March has been a busy month for Kaepernick, who has been flying around the country looking for anyone to hold a practice with. From Phoenix to New Orleans to Dallas to Atlanta to Seattle, Kaepernick has been staying busy over the past few weeks by throwing with anyone and everyone.
On March 18, he was at Morehouse College in Atlanta, where he met up with NFL quarterbacks Justin Fields and Tyrod Taylor.
The Kaepernick throwing tour started a few days before that when he met up with Seahawks receiver Tyler Lockett for a throwing session in Arizona on March 14.
The quarterback has also been busy this week. After a short practice session in New Orleans on Monday, Kaepernick flew to Seattle to hold throwing session with another Seahawks receiver, Aaron Fuller. Following that practice, Kaepernick spoke with the media where he revealed that he's spoken with both Pete Carroll and John Schneider over the past few weeks and apparently, he's hoping the Seahawks will give him a shot.
"Still waiting for that chance," Kaepernick told the Seattle Times this week. "Still hopeful. There's been a lot of conversation around it. Again, we've had conversations with Pete and John previously. As Pete mentioned, we have spoken recently and (I'm) still hoping that door is open and get a chance to walk through it."
After five years out of football, all Kaepernick wants is a chance.
"The best way to tell is to bring me in for a workout," Kaepernick said. "We have no expectations of what teams will do. But we just want the opportunity to walk in the door and show them what I can do and I think my talent, my skill set, will speak for itself."
At this point, the Seahawks definitely seem like the team that would make the most sense for a possible Kaepernick tryout. The quarterback has already gotten one rave review from a Seahawks receiver (Lockett) and he got another one this week.
"I'll put something in their ear," Fuller said of talking to Carroll and Schneider about Kaepernick. "I think T-Lock (Lockett) did a little bit too. So they kind of knew I was coming out here to come throw with him, so they wanted me to see how he was and his ability to still throw the ball and move around. So I'll put a good word in."
The Seahawks were the ONE team that reached out to Kaepernick during his five years away from the NFL after he was basically blackballed following his decision to kneel for the national anthem. Kaepernick actually visited with the Seahawks in May 2017, but they ultimately decided not to sign him. Kaepernick then had another visit scheduled with the Seahawks in April 2018, but that one got canceled for unknown reasons.
On the Seahawks' end, Carroll definitely thinks that Kaepernick should get another chance, it's just not clear if it's going to happen in Seattle.
"Does that guy deserve a second shot? I think he does," Carroll said on March 16. "Somewhere, I don't know if it's here, I don't know where it is. I don't even know if it's in football, I don't know."
Kaepernick has been out of the NFL since March 2017 with teams deciding to stay away from him after he decided to start protesting racial injustice and police brutality against minorities by kneeling during the national anthem, which he started doing in August 2016.
The quarterback hasn't taken an NFL snap since the 49ers' 2016 regular season finale that was played on January 1, 2017. During his time in San Francisco, Kaepernick thrived under Jim Harbaugh, going 25-14 as a starter while also leading the 49ers to the Super Bowl in 2012. However, he struggled after Harbaugh left, going just 3-16 with Jim Tomsula (2015) and Chip Kelly (2016).
After five seasons away from the NFL, Kaepernick is doing everything he can to try and make a return happen.