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Colin Kaepernick was making a lot of noise earlier this offseason. He tweeted training videos as he continued on his quest to return to the NFL. One such video even featured him working out with Seattle Seahawks receiver Tyler Lockett.
The hype was building before free agency and the NFL Draft. Yet no one took a chance then and the draft has now passed. Most rosters are set, especially at the quarterback position.
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So what is his status now? Discourse regarding his return has faded, leaving his future in question. If the media is not talking about him, are teams even considering him anymore?
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Is time running out for Colin Kaepernick to make a return to the NFL?
It has been argued that NFL owners kept Kaepernick out of the league following the 2016 season. At this point in time, this widely accepted idea is easy to believe. Since taking a knee during the national anthem, he has become a polarizing figure in the public eye. Signing the quarterback would potentially anger many more fans than it would please, a matter franchises would consider before making him an offer. Financially, he might prove to be a costly mistake.
Alternatively, if the owners are not colluding, what is holding him back? Is it simply the fact that he has been out of the league since the 2016 season? He is now 34 years old and has not played a snap of professional football in that time.
His problems run deeper as most teams have the quarterback situation figured out. The Seattle Seahawks and Carolina Panthers are the only two teams that may make a change between now and Week 1. Yet with both teams, guys like Baker Mayfield and Jimmy Garoppolo are likely to be ahead of Kaepernick in their estimation.
To his credit, the quarterback did build up some hype around his name at the perfect time of the NFL offseason. He was even invited by Jim Harbaugh to throw at Michigan earlier in the offseason. He had the platform, but teams did not come calling. That may just be the reality of his situation.
Though time is running out, his name is not going to fade anytime soon. Probably not until he officially retires. It's possible the owners have already decided he is never coming back.
