McDaniels, Ziegler giving Colin Kaepernick his first NFL workout since QB's exile from league
BOSTON -- More than five years after throwing his last professional pass, quarterback Colin Kaepernick is getting a legitimate look from an NFL team.
The Las Vegas Raiders are working out the 34-year-old QB on Wednesday, marking Kaepernick's first official team workout since he caused controversy in 2016 by taking a knee during the national anthem before games.
The Raiders have traditionally been an organization unafraid to work against conventional wisdom, and owner Mark Davis has clearly adopted some of the same lines of thinking as his father, Al Davis.
Likewise, Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler came up in an organization led by Bill Belichick, a head coach and executive who has often made decisions and took risks that nobody else in similar positions would make.
Additionally, Raiders offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi -- who was the Patriots' assistant QB coach in 2019 and the wide receivers coach for the past two seasons -- was an offensive quality control coach for the 49ers in 2016, when Kaepernick was the starting QB. Lombardi was on the San Francisco staff from 2013-16, coinciding with most of Kaepernick's run as the team's quarterback.
Kaepernick was 1-10 as the starter for the 49ers in 2016 but threw 16 touchdowns to just four interceptions, while also rushing for 468 yards and two touchdowns.
Whether or not Kaepernick finds a spot on the Raiders' roster remains a major question, as the team has Derek Carr firmly entrenched as the starter, with Nick Mullens and Jarrett Stidham on the depth chart in backup roles.
Still, the workout itself represents an important step for Kaepernick, who's insisted for years that he still has dreams and goals of being an NFL quarterback.
