Lions add former 49ers QB Kaepernick to negotiation list
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The BC Lions have added American quarterback Colin Kaepernick to their negotiation list, according to TSN's Farhan Lalji.
Kaepernick, 35, was originally drafted by the San Francisco 49ers with the 36th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.
The former Nevada Wolf Pack pivot played in three games his rookie season before supplanting long-time starter Alex Smith in 2012, when he helped lead the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance.
Kaepernick assumed the full-time starting responsibilities in the 2013 season, when he threw for 3,197 yards, 21 touchdowns and eight interceptions. The Milwaukee, Wis., native added 524 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
Kaepernick threw for a career-highs in passing yards (3,369) and rushing yards (639) the following season.
Kaepernick last played professionally for the 49ers in the 2016 season, when he drew global attention for refusing to stand for the American national anthem in protest against racial injustice.
Kaepernick and the National Football League reached a settlement in 2019, when Kaepernick along with fellow teammate Eric Reid claimed they were blackballed by team owners due to their protest of the national anthem.
In a recent letter to New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas, Kaepernick expressed his interest in returning to professional football saying,“I would be honored and extremely grateful for the opportunity to come in and lead the practice squad,” he wrote in the two-page letter. “I would do this with the sole mission of getting your defense ready each week.”