Colin Kaepernick's changed time and location of workout to allow for 'legitimate process,' NFL 'disappointed'

Posted By: Staff
November 16, 2019 @ 2:41 pm
ABC Sports

Photo by Scott Clarke / ESPN Images(ATLANTA) — Colin Kaepernick called an audible on Saturday, moving the time and location of his scheduled workout for representatives of more than 20 NFL teams, after the NFL refused to accommodate some of his requests.

In a statement released by his representatives, Kaepernick said the new workout will be held at 4pm instead of 3pm, and will take place at a different location in Atlanta.

“From the outset, Mr. Kaepernick requested a legitimate process and from the outset the NFL league office has not provided one,” the statement reads. “Most recently, the NFL has demanded that as a precondition to the workout, Mr. Kaepernick sign an unusual liability waiver that addresses employment-related issues and rejected the standard liability waiver from physical injury proposed by Mr. Kaepernick’s representatives.”

The statement says that the NFL also rejected Kaepernick’s request to allow all media into the workout for the purpose of “transparency.”

In their response, the league said it is “disappointed” that Kaepernick didn’t appear for the scheduled event, saying he informed the NFL that of his plans at 2:30pm.

“Today’s session was designed to give Colin what he has consistently said he wants – an opportunity to show his football readiness and desire to return to the NFL,” the league said.

The NFL also notes that 25 teams were present for the league-sanctioned event. The league also said it agreed to allow Nike to shoot an advertisement featuring Kaepernick and mentioning the teams in attendance at the event, had allowed Kaepernick’s representatives to suggest interview questions, allowed Kaepernick to bring his own receivers for the workout, and gave Kaepernick’s team input on drills that he would run.

The league also notes that the location Kaepernick chose to hold his workout was more than an hour away from the original site.

Kaepernick has not played in the NFL since 2016, the year he began kneeling during the national anthem to protest police violence and racial injustice.

The 32-year-old quarterback has noted previous concerns about the way the workout was arranged. He claimed he was only informed that the league planned to hold the event on Tuesday, and when his representatives requested that the workout be scheduled for a day that would allow NFL executives and coaches to more easily attend, the league rejected that idea.

He also said that the league refused to provide him with a list of team representatives who planned to attend.