The Denver Broncos are entering the 2018 season with Case Keenum, Chad Kelly and Paxton Lynch as the quarterbacks on their roster. Unsurprisingly, general manager and Super Bowl-winning quarterback John Elway said he is open to the team signing a veteran quarterback as their No. 2 behind Keenum.
But asked whether the team would consider Colin Kaepernick for that job, Elway said Kaepernick had his chance to play for Denver in 2016 and turned down their offer.
John Elway’s full response when I asked if Colin Kaepernick would be a viable candidate as a backup quarterback if the Broncos look outside for a QB2 pic.twitter.com/vnwDYmt2ez
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) August 16, 2018
“As I said at my deposition, and I don’t know if I’m legally able to say this, but he had his chance to be here. He passed it,” Elway said, implying the team will not reach out to the free agent again.
The Broncos wanted to acquire Kaepernick from the San Francisco 49ers in the spring of 2016, but they asked the quarterback to restructure his contract, too. Kaepernick declined to do so and played for the 49ers one more year.
Later that year, Kaepernick began his now-famous protest against the oppression of black Americans by kneeling during the playing of the national anthem at games. He opted out of his contract with the 49ers in March of 2017 and hasn’t played in the league since.
The deposition Elway referred to came in May of this year as part of Kaepernick’s collusion lawsuit against the NFL and all 32 team owners, in which he alleges he has been blackballed from the league for starting the kneeling phenomenon.
• Adam Zielonka can be reached at azielonka@washingtontimes.com.
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