Report: NFL now will not provide list of personnel to attend Colin Kaepernick workout
The NFL has gone back on an agreement to provide Colin Kaepernick’s representatives with a list of personnel who will be attending Saturday’s workout, according to a report.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Wednesday that the league says it will not give Kaepernick’s representatives a list of personnel executives and coaches who will attend the workout.
After initially agreeing to provide the list of personnel executives and coaches that would attend Colin Kaepernick’s workout, the NFL has reversed course and said it will not, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 13, 2019
When the NFL reached out to Kaepernick’s representatives on Tuesday, the reps reportedly asked for a list of who would attend. The NFL originally agreed but has gone back on that.
Further, Schefter reports that several executives reached out to Kaepernick’s representatives as a courtesy to say they could not attend and that they were confused by the NFL’s purpose of the workout.
Several executives with teams have reached out as a courtesy to Colin Kaepernick’s representatives saying they couldn’t attend Saturday’s workout and were confused by the purpose of the NFL scheduling this workout.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 13, 2019
Schefter later reported that the NFL never made such a promise, which Kaepernick’s camp disputes.
1/2 NFL source: League never promised to provide list of attendees to Colin Kaepernick workout and said multiple clubs are attending.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 14, 2019
2/2 So Kaepernick camp says it was promised list of attendees and can prove it, and an NFL source said league did not make that promise.
Another source in Kaepernick’s camp said he was on the phone call when the NFL said how it would provide the names of attendees. On it goes.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 14, 2019
Coaches would not be expected to attend as they are preparing for Sunday games, while many high-level executives probably had plans to do scouting at college games on Saturday. Still, teams have enough scouting employees where they would be able to send one to attend the workout. We already know of at least a few teams that will send representatives.
As stated before, how you feel about this matter probably depends on what you thought before.
If you felt Kaepernick was being blackballed by the league, then you believe the NFL going back on this agreement is more evidence they’re controlling a workout for PR purposes.
If you felt Kaepernick was going unsigned because the negative attention he generates would not outweigh his ability to help a team, you probably believe that a free agent interested in playing would jump at the chance for a workout and not worry about a list.
