Throughout a information convention March 16, Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll mentioned — unprompted — that he thinks Kaepernick deserves a second shot in his first public feedback since buying and selling Wilson. At his exercise per week later at Washington, Kaepernick instructed reporters that he spoke with Carroll and Basic Supervisor John Schneider and was hopeful for an additional audition in Seattle, which beforehand labored him out in 2017.
Carrying a black, sleeveless Nike shirt and shorts on Friday, Kaepernick threw for practically two hours with about 20 different folks at U.C.L.A. The speed on his passes seemed robust, albeit not in opposition to stay competitors, as he rolled out and zipped darts to receivers alongside the sidelines. He additionally positioned good contact on deep passes towards the tip zone, however misfired on a cross that led a receiver too far to the left on a put up route.
Throughout breaks, Kaepernick acted as an off-the-cuff coach to Justyn Martin, a freshman quarterback at U.C.L.A., who threw subsequent to him in the course of the session.
“There wasn’t a second the place he broke out of focus,” Martin mentioned. “He was type of the identical particular person the entire exercise. Simply seeing how he conducts himself, how he units the tempo and me attending to soak in all of his experience, it was nice.”
Henry Organ, a sports activities agent primarily based in Oakland, Calif., mentioned he obtained a name from a former colleague at Nike at 4 p.m. on Thursday asking if he may safe subject entry and potential receivers for Kaepernick’s exercise the following day.
Organ instantly referred to as a energy and conditioning coach at U.C.L.A., who supplied up the college’s apply subject and weight room. However with few scholar athletes on campus throughout spring break, Organ, with assist from the Corridor of Fame broad receiver Terrell Owens and Najee Lovett, a former participant at Idaho, contacted cross catchers they knew on the town who could also be accessible. Kaepernick landed in Los Angeles round midnight on a business flight, slept in a close-by resort and was able to throw to whomever by Friday morning.
Organ mentioned he was grateful to do what he may to assist Kaepernick’s effort on quick discover.
“Seeing a Black quarterback that’s nonetheless very proficient, I really feel like I did my half in historical past,” he mentioned. “I can’t make him carry out. I can’t make a workforce signal him.”
