Carroll: Kaepernick still an option for Seahawks

[April 24, 2018]  The Seattle Seahawks have not closed the door on potentially signing quarterback Colin Kaepernick as a backup, head coach Pete Carroll said Monday.

"We're still looking at guys and evaluating," Carroll told reporters when asked about Kaepernick at a pre-draft press conference. "There are still free agents we're looking at and in that the process just continues. We've gone through the information gathering and we have a pretty good feel for where we are. It's ongoing. We're not done with that decision at all."

The Seahawks postponed a previously scheduled workout with Kaepernick earlier this month, with some reports suggesting the team canceled the workout after the quarterback wouldn't say whether or not he plans to continue kneeling in protest during the national anthem. Other reports said the Seahawks planned to revisit a workout at a later date.

On Monday, Carroll said the reports relating to the workout were "blown up."

"I think we've been working at this thing for some time now," he said. "I don't think that was really as telling as it came across. We're really aware of him and he's a fine football player and there may be a place for him. We don't know that yet."

Kaepernick, 30, has an active lawsuit against the NFL after he went unsigned all of last season. Carroll and general manager John Schneider were reportedly deposed as part of the suit. Kaepernick met with the Seahawks last offseason but Seattle's interest never reached the contract negotiations phase.

Kaepernick asserts in the suit that NFL owners colluded to keep him out of the league based on his social activism positions, which included kneeling during the national anthem prior to games to bring attention to police brutality and racial inequality.

Seattle re-signed free agent signal-caller Austin Davis last week and brought in Stephen Morris at the position earlier this month. The team released former backup Trevone Boykin in March after he was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault resulting in serious bodily injury.

Russell Wilson has started all 96 possible games since he was drafted in 2012. No other Seahawk has attempted more than 20 passes total in the six seasons since.

--Field Level Media

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