Colin Kaepernick hasn't played in the NFL since 2016, but the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback will be given a chance to showcase his talents in front of scouts on Saturday.
The Patriots will be one of the multiple teams doing their due diligence by attending Kaepernick's private workout arranged by the league in Atlanta. But will Kaepernick actually end up on an NFL roster?
Appearing on the latest episode of Tom E. Curran's Patriots Talk Podcast, former Pats defensive end Chris Long shared his thoughts on the whole Kaepernick situation.
"I think he could still play in this league," Long said. "I've never contended at the end of his rope there he was a top 15 quarterback. I mean, he was bottom third. But if you're a bottom third starting quarterback in this league, there's a job.
"The problem with this Kaep thing is that everybody is so worked up, and that's OK, but people are really binary and they can't think in any nuance or gray area. So if you hate Kaep, he's Johnny Manziel, which is untrue. And if you love Kaep, he's Joe Montana, which is untrue. He's a guy who was a starting quarterback, 20th... in that range his last year across the board, which means he's a good quarterback. Which means he can help a team."
Curran and Long also discuss whether they believe the NFL is giving Kaepernick a legitimate shot at making an NFL team, or if this seems like more of a PR stunt.
New England Patriots
Other topics on the show include Long's upcoming media company, "Chalk Media," how athletes deal with social anxiety, differences between the 2016 Patriots and 2017 Eagles, and Long's new NBA "side team."
Listen to the full episode below (Kaepernick talk begins at 12:26):
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