The B.C. Lions made headlines on Thursday when they added former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick to their negotiation list.
But it doesn’t appear Kaepernick will be making his way to Vancouver anytime soon, with the co-general manager of the Canadian Football League team revealing that the franchise has yet to have any discussions with the 35-year-old quarterback or his representatives.
“Much like everyone on our neg list, we have made no contact with him and are not looking to bring another QB in,” co-general manager Neil McEvoy told 3DownNation.com.
Kaepernick hasn’t played organized football since his most recent season with the San Francisco 49ers in 2016. That year, the Nevada product famously made headlines for kneeling during the playing of the national anthem in protest of police brutality and racial inequality in the United States.
The @BCLions have put Colin Kaepernick on their negotiation list. @SportsCentre pic.twitter.com/QT0lw8efqr
— Farhan Lalji (@FarhanLaljiTSN) September 28, 2023
In 2017, Kaepernick filed a grievance against the NFL alleging that the league’s owners had colluded against signing him after he became a free agent following the 2016 campaign. In 2019, Kaepernick and safety Eric Reid, who had join Kaepernick in protests, reached confidential settlements with the league regarding the matter.
Despite having not played in a professional football game in nearly seven years, Kaepernick continues to be linked to potential opportunities. After Aaron Rodgers suffered a season-ending Achilles injury four snaps into his first season with the New York Jets, the 2-time WAC Offensive Player of the Year released a letter requesting to be signed to the team’s practice squad.
As for why the B.C. Lions would add Kaepernick to their neg list without the intent of signing him, it’s possible the team could trade his rights to another team interested in doing so. In six seasons with the 49ers, Kaepernick amassed a 28-30 record as a starting quarterback and helped lead San Francisco to an appearance in the Super Bowl during the 2012 season.
