Speculation is growing that the G-Men could trade their star wideout. Not so fast, says USA TODAY Sports' Jarrett Bell. USA TODAY Sports
Oakland Raiders coach Jon Gruden said Tuesday that although he believed Colin Kaepernick did not play well in 2016, he's mildly surprised the free-agent quarterback hasn't been invited to an NFL training camp over the past year.
"I think there's a lot of intrigue there," Gruden told reporters at the NFL owners meetings, according to ESPN. "His performance on the field wasn't very good, on tape. I think, Robert Griffin, a rookie of the year, (I'm) surprised he's out there. Tim Tebow takes a team to the playoffs, there's some surprise that he never came back. You know, Johnny Manziel, he's out there.
"Back to Kaepernick, he got beat out by (Blaine) Gabbert to start the (2016) season. I think that says something. (But) I am surprised he's not in camp with somebody. He probably will be soon."
Kaepernick, who previously started for the San Francisco 49ers, has been a free agent for more than a full calendar year. He was the first NFL player to kneel during the national anthem, describing the gesture as a means of protesting racial inequality and police brutality. Critics, including President Donald Trump, have argued that the demonstrations are disrespectful to members of the military.
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Kaepernick has since filed a collusion grievance against NFL owners, though commissioner Roger Goodell has denied that the 30-year-old is being "blackballed" by the league because of his outspoken stance on social issues.
A second-round draft pick in 2011, Kaepernick started 58 games over parts of six seasons during his time in San Francisco. He completed 59.2% of his passes and threw for 2,241 yards yards in 2016, with 16 touchdowns and four interceptions.
Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Twitter @Tom_Schad.
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