The Seattle Seahawks reportedly postponed a tryout with free-agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick after he wouldn’t rule out kneeling during the national anthem.
The Seahawks organization is still considering holding a workout with Kaepernick, who sat out the 2017 NFL season without a contract following a season in which he emerged as the leader of the player take-a-knee activism.
After making arrangements for the tryout two weeks ago, “the trip was unexpectedly scuttled over the Seahawks’ last-minute stipulation regarding Kaepernick’s anthem stance,” according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, citing a source.
Seahawks postpone Colin Kaepernick’s scheduled visit after he won’t say if he’ll stop kneeling:https://t.co/QSMVpPMr6j https://t.co/QSMVpPMr6j
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 12, 2018
“The source said the Seahawks wanted to know that Kaepernick wouldn’t kneel this season, and he was unwilling to give that assurance to them,” ESPN said in a Thursday report.
The Seahawks already have a franchise quarterback, Russell Wilson, but Kaepernick is reportedly under consideration as a backup.
Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers passer, has filed a grievance against the NFL alleging that the 32 team owners colluded in not signing him for the 2017 season over his sideline protesting.
Another high-profile kneeler, Kaepernick’s former 49ers teammate Eric Reid, has also failed to catch on with a team after hitting free agency March 14.
The safety Reid was reportedly quizzed Monday by Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown about whether he would stand for the national anthem during a workout for the team, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio.
Kaepernick has not commented publicly on the Seahawks tryout, but he retweeted Wednesday the report about Reid’s meeting with the Bengals.
Source: Mike Brown questioned Eric Reid about anthem kneeling during his recent Bengals visit https://t.co/ivvRXO7BdS
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) April 11, 2018
The NFL saw its ratings drop by 9.7 percent in the 2017 regular season amid fan outrage over the take-a-knee protests, which players have described as a demonstration against social injustice and racism.
The team owners finalized last month a $90 million agreement to support social-justice organizations and causes without stipulating that players must stand for “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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