The Seattle Seahawks are picking up a free-agent quarterback, but it’s not Colin Kaepernick.
The Seahawks are planning to sign journeyman back-up Stephen Morris, who has never taken a snap in a regular-season NFL game, according to reports Thursday.
Seahawks have signed former Washington QB Stephen Morris, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 13, 2018
The move comes after the Seahawks reportedly postponed a Monday workout with Kaepernick over his refusal to commit to standing when “The Star-Spangled Banner” is played.
Morris, who was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars after going undrafted in 2014, “has presumably agreed to stand for the national anthem,” said Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith.
The Seahawks could still bring on Kaepernick, given that starter Russell Wilson is the only quarterback on the roster and “most teams want around four QBs to conduct offseason workouts properly,” said NFL.com’s Kevin Patra.
Seattle had 1 other QB on the roster (Wilson). Need arms. Morris shouldn’t be the last quarterback added. https://t.co/pNBZ9Ad2y0
— Kevin Patra (@kpatra) April 13, 2018
Even so, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith said Thursday that he would be “shocked” if Kaepernick ever played in the NFL again.
“I’d be shocked if he ended up back in the league, and I think this is just the latest example of it,” he said on “First Take.” “They were willing to let him back in if he were willing to say that he wouldn’t kneel again. He has not been willing to say that.”
No team has signed Kaepernick since he became a free agent in March 2017 after leading the take-a-knee protests as a player for the San Francisco 49ers.
Kaepernick, 30, has filed a grievance against the NFL alleging that team owners colluded in order to keep him out of the league over the social-justice protest.
The NFL’s regular-season ratings dropped by about 9.7 percent in 2017 regular season and 9 percent in 2016 over the previous year, a decline blamed in part on fan outrage over the refusal by some players to stand for the national anthem.
Morris, 25, was waived earlier this month by the Washington Redskins, who signed him to a futures contract in January.
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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