Colin Kaepernick Rumors: Jay-Z Wanted Workout After Taking 'Reputational Bullet'

Free-agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick will work out in front of more than 24 NFL teams in Atlanta on Saturday, according to ESPN.

The event is the closest Kaepernick has come to playing in the league since the 2016 season, when he protested racial injustice and police violence by kneeling during the national anthem before games.

On Friday, Dan Patrick reported on his eponymous show that Jay-Z "was putting the pressure" on NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to give Kaepernick a workout after Jay-Z "took a reputational bullet" for Goodell when the music mogul announced his partnership with the league in August.

Jay-Z received criticism after Roc Nation, which he founded in 2008, announced an entertainment and social justice partnership with the NFL despite Kaepernick's still being out of the league.

Multiple reports, including by Justin Tinsley of The Undefeated, noted the partnership may have been influenced by Jay-Z's desire to own an NFL team. Jay-Z was also called a "total sellout" by Paul Newberry of the Associated Press.

Kaepernick played for the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-16, completing 59.8 percent of his passes with 72 touchdowns and 30 interceptions. He also rushed for 2,300 yards and 13 touchdowns and led the 49ers to Super Bowl XLVII and then the 2013 NFC Championship Game.