The Jets and Giants will be among at least 11 teams represented in Atlanta on Saturday, when the NFL is scheduled to hold a private workout session for quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
Kaepernick, who hasn’t played an NFL down since 2016, will be put through drills by former NFL head coach Hue Jackson and assisted by former Dolphins and Packers coach Joe Philbin.
“The NFL asked me to do it,” Jackson told ESPN. “I’m excited to about doing it for Colin and the league. As far as I know right now, Colin is still attending.”
Both New York teams could use veteran QB depth, with the Giants preparing to move on from Eli Manning at season’s end and Sam Darnold’s bout with mononucleosis providing evidence of their thinness behind their starter.
The Cardinals, Falcons, Browns, Broncos, Lions, Dolphins, Patriots, Buccaneers and Redskins all plan to send representatives to watch the on-field work and interview the 31-year-old ex-49ers quarterback.
Kaepernick famously opted out of his contract with San Francisco following the 2016 season, during which he drew headlines for kneeling during the national anthem as a protest against police brutality and racial injustice. Earlier this year, he settled a suit with the NFL in which he alleged he was being blackballed by the league.
Multiple players, including current Panthers safety Eric Reid — who as Kaepernick’s 49ers teammate also kneeled in protest and later sued the league — have criticized the scheduled workout as “disingenuous.”
“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Reid said Wednesday. “At this point, it feels like a PR stunt.”