Colin Kaepernick Rumors: NFL Teams Speaking to Friends, Associates of QB

As rumors of interest in Colin Kaepernick continue to swirl around the National Football League, the NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reports some teams have begun reaching out to the quarterback's associates as they continue to do their due diligence.

Per Garafolo on NFL Total Access:

"Teams are circling around here getting closer, I believe, certainly closer than they've been in recent years. Now you might say why not just go directly to Kaepernick, go directly to his agent? Why do you have to play this game where you're working the periphery—just more of the same? That would be a fair point. My understanding, at least to explain it from a team's perspective, is they're still doing their homework, still doing their research. When they get to the point where they're confident enough that they think they can work out a contract, that's when there'll be direct communication with the agent. But for now…we all see more positive signs that Kaepernick could be back in the league soon."

The sense that teams are dragging their feet in signing Kaepernick will likely persist until a deal has been made official. 

The QB has been out of the NFL since after the 2016 season, and a workout for scouts put together by the league in November 2019 devolved into another controversy after the NFL asked him to sign a liability waiver. The showcase was canceled nearly an hour before it was set to begin with Kaepernick redirecting scouts to another nearby field to watch him throw instead. 

On June 15, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said he would back up any team that wants to sign Kaepernick.

"If he wants to resume his career in the NFL, then obviously it's going to take a team to make that decision," Goodell said during an ESPN special. "But I welcome that, support a club making that decision and encourage them to do that."

So far there have been few bites for the 32-year-old former San Francisco 49ers star. 

Whatever interest there allegedly is in signing Kaepernick, it's currently happening behind closed doors. Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio followed up an NFL Network report by Mike Silver on Friday by saying no team is close to reaching out to the QB's camp.

That's a major hurdle in getting anywhere near a contract.

Kaepernick's NFL dreams may not be over yet, but there is little more than talk and rumors from reporters and front offices to prove he's close to a return.