Colin Kaepernick's camp says it was promised an attendance list for this weekend's private workout organized by the NFL. But it appears the league is calling BS.
"It is completely false that the NFL had agreed at any point to provide a list of personnel executives and coaches that would attend Colin Kaepernick's workout, simply we had interest as of yesterday at 4pm," a "high-ranking NFL" insider told TMZ Sports. "We only started getting confirmations after the memo was sent to all teams. We can confirm that multiple teams have agreed to attend and hope Collin Kaepernick will accept the opportunity."
ESPN's Adam Schefter has also reported on the conflicting claims, citing several anonymous sources from both sides; however, a representative for Kaepernick reportedly has receipts to prove the NFL's purported promise.
On Tuesday, the league announced it was organizing a private work out for Kaepernick, who hasn't played a professional game since 2016. The quarterback opted out of his 49ers contract a couple of years ago, after making national headlines for his controversial on-field protests against police brutality. Kaepernick went on to file a collusion grievance against the league and team owners, claiming they refused to sign him because of his peaceful demonstrations during the national anthem. The case was settled earlier this year, and the free agent has since expressed his desire to return to the game.
The NFL said all 32 teams were invited to the workout, which will take place this Saturday in Atlanta. A number of franchises have reportedly reached out to Kaepernick's representatives to inform them they would not attend. Other teams have confirmed they would send a representative to see if the athlete was football ready, but it's unclear if those reps will be team executives.
The timing of the event, as well as the NFL's decision to withhold an attendance list, has raised many questions about the legitimacy of the private workout and the league's motives.
"It feels disingenuous," Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid told reporters Wednesday. "I'll believe it when I see it. At this point, it feels like a PR stunt."
