Pete Carroll Says Colin Kaepernick Deserves ‘Second Chance’ in NFL

Colin Kaepernick, who has not played in the NFL since 2016, is still keeping himself in the best shape of his life. And while doing so, the former 49ers quarterback reached out Seahawks coach Pete Carroll as he eyes a return to the NFL

Carroll believes Kaepernick deserves a second chance.

“Does that guy deserve a second shot? I think he does,” Carroll told reporters on Wednesday. 

However, even with the departure of former Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson to the Broncos, Carroll did not say Kaepernick's chance would come with the Seahawks. 

On Sunday, Kaepernick tweeted how much he missed throwing routes to professional wide receivers during training. After he openly asked if there were players interested in running routes in a tweet, Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett embraced the opportunity. 

“Let's do it bro! Me and My brother will come run routes for you!” Lockett said in a tweet.

Kaepernick played his entire six-year NFL career with the 49ers. The 34-year-old became the center of national attention when he began protesting police brutality and institutionalized racism by taking a knee before games when he played for San Francisco. 

He entered NFL free agency in 2017, but was never picked up by a team across the league. As a result, Kaepernick filed a grievance with the league and accused NFL owners of colluding to blackball him. 

The NFL and Kaepernick eventually reached a confidential settlement. In 69 career games with the 49ers, Kaepernick threw for 12,271 yards, adding 72 touchdowns and 30 interceptions. He also rushed for 2,300 yards and 13 touchdowns.

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