Colin Kaepernick ultimately participated in a workout in Georgia on Saturday, but it was not the NFL-sponsored one that was originally intended.
Kaepernick and the NFL are engaging in something of a PR war after Kaepernick opted to move the location of his workout. That decision, according to Kaepernick’s representatives, came about because the NFL refused to allow the media to attend, as well as a dispute over an injury waiver.
The NFL is firing back via Twitter, claiming that Kaepernick’s requests for media availability and his own injury waiver were abruptly sent to the league today, and the NFL didn’t find out about Kaepernick’s change of venue until it was posted by his representatives on Twitter.
Colin moved his workout to a facility an hour from Atlanta Falcons Flowery Branch facility. No one got a heads up until NFL saw the Twitter statement. Kaepernick was a no-show for 25 NFL teams at Falcons facility waiting at 3:00 pm.
— NFL345 (@NFL345) November 16, 2019
Colin’s Twitter statement went out at the same time his lawyer texted the NFL to change facilities.
— NFL345 (@NFL345) November 16, 2019
Injury liability waiver was sent to Colin’s reps on Wednesday night, no push back. At 12:03 pm today, they said no and sent their own waiver.
— NFL345 (@NFL345) November 16, 2019
Colin’s reps were told workout video and interview would be given to all 32 teams. He refused to allow NFL to videotape the workout with his reps overseeing.
— NFL345 (@NFL345) November 16, 2019
Coach Hue Jackson, who was running the workout, approved Colin’s request to use his own receivers.
— NFL345 (@NFL345) November 16, 2019
Just today the NFL received a request for press to be present, not prior.
— NFL345 (@NFL345) November 16, 2019
On the issue of video, it’s abundantly clear that Kaepernick’s reps did not trust the NFL to present a fair depiction of Kaepernick’s workout. The rest is simply a matter of who you believe more, as Kaepernick claimed the league refused to allow the media to attend and sought to have him sign a non-standard injury waiver. In the end, Kaepernick’s workout was not sanctioned by the NFL, and didn’t even feature the coach the NFL had brought in to run it. It was, however, streamed live online.
