NFL stars praise Kaepernick’s arm talent in new workout video originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Colin Kaepernick hasn’t played in the NFL since the 2016 season, but that hasn’t taken him away from the game. Not even close.
The former 49ers quarterback, who is a free agent and still waiting for another opportunity in the league, shared what he has been up to in the meantime with a training video posted on social media.
The 94-second video shows a glimpse of the work Kaepernick has done with some of the NFL’s biggest stars.
“Man, he looks great,” said former 49er and current New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne. “He looks good, the arm looks strong. He has a propelled arm. Look at this man! He still has six good years left.”
Kaepernick was drafted by San Francisco in 2011 and spent his entire six-year NFL career there, but the two teams went their separate ways after the 2016 season when the quarterback began to kneel during the broadcast of the national anthem to protest against racial injustice.
Seven years later, he has never signed another NFL contract and remains unemployed by the NFL. But he hopes it won’t last long.
“The arm is still intact, a strong arm,” Dallas Cowboys catcher CeeDee Lamb said. “The deep ball is very nice. Man, he’s still Kap. He’s still got it.”
“Kap’s got a real rocket for an arm, man,” added Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. “So it’s different. Really good ball placement. Hey, it’s easy when you have a quarterback who’s been there. He makes it easy for us.”
Other stars like Najee Harris, Derrick Henry and Chris Olave made appearances in the video.
Since his release by the 49ers, Kaepernick has focused on activism and shined a light on police brutality and systemic racialized oppression. But football never completely disappeared.
Kaepernick, 35, is 28-30 with a 59.8 percent completion percentage, 12,271 passing yards, 72 passing touchdowns, 13 rushing touchdowns and 30 interceptions for his career. He led the 49ers to a Super Bowl in 2013 and is looking forward to doing it again with a fresh start in the league.
He has organized his own training sessions and, more recently, worked with the Las Vegas Raiders last summer, marking his first visit with an NFL team since 2017. And now, with the 2023 season on the horizon and a new emergency third quarterback rule, Kaepernick is hoping he gets his chance at being in the NFL again.