Is The XFL Signing Colin Kaepernick?

Is The XFL Signing Colin Kaepernick?

Is the XFL signing Colin Kaepernick?

With the first day of the XFL officially in the books, many are wondering if Kaepernick is in the league’s future.

The XFL re-emerged with a bang on Saturday after two decade break.

WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon simply could not live with the $35 million he lost on the XFL the first time around, so he opted for a do-over 20 years after the fact.

Day 1 of the season came and went on Saturday, with the biggest name on the field of either game being former Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones.

While Jones is certainly one of the more memorable Buckeyes in recent memory, he is not by any means a star. One person who is a star is Kaepernick – which led many to ask why he was not part of any XFL rosters.

Kaepernick has not played a pro football game since 2016, when he made headlines in the preseason by kneeling during the national anthem as a protest against racial injustice.

He subsequently became a free agent and went unsigned.

One year later, Kaepernick accused the NFL of blacklisting him and filed a grievance against the league and its owners for allegedly colluding to keep him off the field. Two years later, in 2019, he withdrew the grievance after reaching a settlement with the NFL.

During a recent workout in front of various NFL personnel and media, Kaepernick made it clear that he still wanted to play professional football.

.@OliverLuckXFL on Colin Kaepernick in the XFL – I have no idea weather Colin is in shape or not. weather he wants to play. We are a league that has salary restrictions and obviously, at least based on what people have said, that might play a role in his desire to play.

— The Ken Carman Show w/ Anthony Lima (@KenCarmanShow) April 17, 2019

“When you go back, tell your owners to stop being scared,” Kaepernick told scouts after his workout.

Shockingly, neither that comment nor his workout endeared the quarterback to any NFL teams.

Kaepernick continued to go unsigned.

When the NFL season came to a close, many speculated if perhaps a union between the XFL and Kaepernick was in the cards.

A Sporting News report recently noted that Kaepernick wanted “at least $20 million” to play in the XFL.

Considering that the highest paid players in the league make almost $500,000, that price tag is likely a deal breaker.

XFL commissioner Oliver Luck, the father of former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, essentially said this much during a recent interview.

“That’s a little bit out of our range,” he said.

“I think his salary demands are way out of our ballpark,” Luck continued. “He was never really a viable option.”

Beyond that, Luck also expressed questions as to whether Kaepernick is even in playing shape at this stage in the game.

“I have no idea whether Colin is in shape or not,” he said.

“Whether he wants to play. We are a league that has salary restrictions and obviously, at least based on what people have said, that might play a role in his desire to play.”

Finally, the issue of standing for the national anthem would be a sticky one if Kaepernick ever decided to join up.

“We respect individual freedoms,” Luck said.

“But we will require our players to stand for the national anthem.”

For now, it does not look like Kaepernick and the XFL will link up any time soon.

If the league experiences some measure of success and decides to make a splash, though, don’t be surprised if the topic is revisited down the road.

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Charles Kruger

Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.