After watching Colin Kaepernick work out for nearly 40 minutes in Atlanta on Saturday, the quarterback's agent, Jeff Nalley, doesn't sound too optimistic about his client's chances of getting signed by an NFL team.
Following the workout, Nalley spoked with the media, and although he admitted that he was hopeful that Kaepernick would get signed, he also added that the reality of the situation is that the free agent quarterback is likely going to remain a free agent.
"I hope so, but I don't know," Nalley said when asked about Kaepernick possibly getting signed, via ESPN.com. "I'll be honest, I'm a little bit pessimistic because I've talked to all 32 teams. I've reached out to them recently, and none of them have had any interest. I'll tell you this: No team asked for this workout. The league office asked for this workout."
The workout was supposed to be held the Falcons practice facility in Flowery Branch, Georgia, but Kaepernick's camp called an audible and moved the workout to a local high school after they didn't approve of the terms that the league had set for the workout. Apparently, the NFL wanted Kaepernick to sign an "unusual liability waiver" which was different than the standard liability waiver that most players sign before an NFL workout.
A total of 25 teams were expected to have a representative at the workout, but after Kaepernick's team switched the location, only eight teams ended up making an appearance. Although he ended up working out in a front of a smaller audience than he expected, Kaepernick still had a solid day.
According to CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora, Kaepernick "got some very positive feedback from the scouts in attendance about his elite arm strength and ability to throw the deep ball."
Nalley was also impressed with the way his client performed.
"I've got to tell you what, I've got to hand it to Colin. He stepped up, showed he's in shape," Nalley said. "I talked to the NFL people out here today. They said his arm talent is elite, that it's the same as when he came out of college. I even asked them: 'If you want to get him on a scale, see what he weighs.' They said, 'We don't need to. He looks ripped. He looks in great shape.'"
According to NFL.com, Nalley does feel slightly optimistic about one aspect of Kaepernick's workout, and that's the fact that league office set everything up. Apparently, Nalley believes that since Roger Goodell was willing to set up a workout that involved 25 teams, the NFL commissioner might be able to convince at least one team to give Kaepernick a chance.
As for Kaepernick, he's eager to get that chance.
"I've been ready for three years," Kaepernick said after his workout. "I've been denied for three years. We all know why I came out here today and showed it in front of everybody. We have nothing to hide."
The free agent quarterback, who hasn't played since the end of the 2016 season, said the NFL needs to stop running from the truth.
"So we're waiting for the 32 owners, the 32 teams, Roger Goodell, all of them to stop running, stop running from the truth, stop running from the people," Kaepernick said. "Around here, we're ready to play, we're ready to go anywhere, my agent Jeff Nalley is ready to talk to any team. I'll interview with any team at any time."
Although Kaepernick might not get signed before the end of the 2019 season, there's still a chance that he could get signed this offseason. A league executive told NFL..com that the belief around the league was that most teams were going to the workout to check out Kaepernick with an eye on signing him in 2020, if they were going to sign him at all.