Is the NFL’s Colin Kaepernick workout a sham? Here’s what Eagles’ Malcolm Jenkins thinks
Updated Nov 15, 2019;Posted Nov 15, 2019
12
Eagles practice for Sunday's home game vs. the New England Patriots, Nov. 13, 2019
9
0
shares
By Zack Rosenblatt | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
PHILADELPHIA — Patrick Mahomes, Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, Nick Foles, Jacoby Brissett and Sam Darnold are among the notable quarterbacks that have missed time due to injuries this season.
The way Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins sees it, there have been plenty of chances for the NFL to give Colin Kaepernick a legitimate shot at playing, or at least working out for, a team.
So, why now?
A quick refresher: The NFL scheduled for Kaepernick to work out in front of NFL teams on Saturday this week, his first major opportunity to get a tryout of sorts in front of evaluators since the last time he played for the 49ers in 2016. The Giants and Jets are reportedly two of the teams expected to be in attendance, while the Eagles will not.
Kaepernick, 32, hasn’t played since he started a movement of demonstration during the national anthem before games, kneeling as a protest to shine a light on racial inequality and police brutality.
The NFL was accused of league-wide collusion to keep Kaepernick out of the league. In February, Kaepernick — and Eric Reid — settled a lawsuit with the NFL accusing the league of collusion.
Now, some have called into question the methods at which the league is conducting this workout on Saturday, including Jenkins, who is at least skeptical.
“I really hope it’s a serious shot for him to get back in the league, as I think he deserves to be in the league, and for the last three years has unjustly not had a job,” Jenkins said Thursday at NovaCare Complex. “But based on all the things that have led us to this point, it leaves me a little skeptical of the motivations behind it. But I think like anybody, we’re just kind of all waiting to see.”
Jenkins, who also protested during the anthem in the past and co-founded the Players Coalition, has maintained throughout the last three years that Kaepernick deserved a shot at the NFL.
Buy Eagles-Patriots tickets: StubHub, SeatGeek
Per reports, Kaepernick’s camp had only two hours to respond to the NFL’s invitation, and the league would not move the workout to a Tuesday — the day free agents typically work out for teams — or the next Saturday, which would give teams more time to prepare for the workout.
Beyond the strange nature of how Saturday’s workout came together, Jenkins has looked around the league and seen quarterbacks get the call before Kaepernick, who led the 49ers to the Super Bowl in 2013.
“You always ask the questions of just like, ‘Why now? What’s the difference?’ Jenkins said. “There’s been plenty of quarterbacks hurt this year and opportunities for teams to bring him in for a workout individually. To have a league-organized workout was obviously raises a lot of questions. But hopefully, they’re coming with the full intention of signing him to a team and truly evaluating him based on football. But time will tell.”
Updated Nov 15, 2019;Posted Nov 15, 2019
12
Eagles practice for Sunday's home game vs. the New England Patriots, Nov. 13, 2019
9
0
shares
By Zack Rosenblatt | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
PHILADELPHIA — Patrick Mahomes, Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, Nick Foles, Jacoby Brissett and Sam Darnold are among the notable quarterbacks that have missed time due to injuries this season.
The way Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins sees it, there have been plenty of chances for the NFL to give Colin Kaepernick a legitimate shot at playing, or at least working out for, a team.
So, why now?
A quick refresher: The NFL scheduled for Kaepernick to work out in front of NFL teams on Saturday this week, his first major opportunity to get a tryout of sorts in front of evaluators since the last time he played for the 49ers in 2016. The Giants and Jets are reportedly two of the teams expected to be in attendance, while the Eagles will not.
Kaepernick, 32, hasn’t played since he started a movement of demonstration during the national anthem before games, kneeling as a protest to shine a light on racial inequality and police brutality.
The NFL was accused of league-wide collusion to keep Kaepernick out of the league. In February, Kaepernick — and Eric Reid — settled a lawsuit with the NFL accusing the league of collusion.
Now, some have called into question the methods at which the league is conducting this workout on Saturday, including Jenkins, who is at least skeptical.
“I really hope it’s a serious shot for him to get back in the league, as I think he deserves to be in the league, and for the last three years has unjustly not had a job,” Jenkins said Thursday at NovaCare Complex. “But based on all the things that have led us to this point, it leaves me a little skeptical of the motivations behind it. But I think like anybody, we’re just kind of all waiting to see.”
Jenkins, who also protested during the anthem in the past and co-founded the Players Coalition, has maintained throughout the last three years that Kaepernick deserved a shot at the NFL.
Buy Eagles-Patriots tickets: StubHub, SeatGeek
Per reports, Kaepernick’s camp had only two hours to respond to the NFL’s invitation, and the league would not move the workout to a Tuesday — the day free agents typically work out for teams — or the next Saturday, which would give teams more time to prepare for the workout.
Beyond the strange nature of how Saturday’s workout came together, Jenkins has looked around the league and seen quarterbacks get the call before Kaepernick, who led the 49ers to the Super Bowl in 2013.
“You always ask the questions of just like, ‘Why now? What’s the difference?’ Jenkins said. “There’s been plenty of quarterbacks hurt this year and opportunities for teams to bring him in for a workout individually. To have a league-organized workout was obviously raises a lot of questions. But hopefully, they’re coming with the full intention of signing him to a team and truly evaluating him based on football. But time will tell.”
