Colin Kaepernick still pushing for NFL return: 'There will never be a case where I'm not ready'

Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, 36, hasn't played an NFL game since 2016, but that doesn't mean he wants to be done with the game. On “CBS Mornings,” Kaepernick explained his desire to play football and what drives him to continue looking for a chance to join a team.

“It was 15 years of work and dedication before I ever set foot on an NFL field, and to have that passion and chase it for so long, you don't just give that up, you don't just walk away. You chase that. You chase it,” he said.

Not only has Kaepernick been out of the game for a while, but he isn't getting any younger. There are only four starting quarterbacks in the league who are 36 years old or older: Aaron Rodgers of the New York Jets (41), Andy Dalton of the Carolina Panthers (37), Kirk Cousins ​​​​of the Atlanta Falcons (36) and Matthew Stafford from the Los Angeles Rams (36). .

Kaepernick maintains he's still ready, even though he's been away from football for nearly a decade.

“There will never be a case where I'm not ready, and there will never be a case where I don't want it anymore.”

Kaepernick has been vocal about his desire to join an NFL team, sending messages to teams, posting videos of his workouts and making it clear that he believes he is still in football shape.

Back in August, Kaepernick mentioned that he was still working hard to stay ready.

“We’re still training and still pushing. So hopefully we have to get one of these team owners to open up… I mean, this is something I've been training for my whole life,” he said. He added that he could help a team win a championship.

Kaepernick trained with the Las Vegas Raiders in May 2022, but nothing came of the visit.

In Kaepernick's final year as a starter in the league, he went 1-10 with just 59.2 completion percentage, 2,241 passing yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions. He also had 69 rushing attempts for 468 yards and two touchdowns on the ground that year.

He played his entire six-year career with the San Francisco 49ers.