Raiders are working out Colin Kaepernick

After five seasons out of the NFL — and not by choice — quarterback Colin Kaepernick is finally getting a chance.

Per multiple reports, the Raiders are giving Kaepernick a workout.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media said the workout is actually happening today.

It’s a stunning development. But it’s not a shock, given the comments made several weeks ago by team owner Mark Davis.

“I believe in Colin Kaepernick,” Davis said last month. “He deserves every chance in the world to become a quarterback in the National Football League. I still stand by it. If our coaches and General Manager want to bring him in or want him to be the quarterback on this team, I would welcome him with open arms.”

The Raiders currently have four quarterbacks on the roster: Derek Carr, Chase Garbers, Nick Mullens, and Jarrett Stidham.

Kaepernick told the I Am Athlete podcast last month that he’s willing to start at the ground level, with a caveat.

“I know I have to find my way back in,” Kaepernick said. “So, yeah, if I have to come in as a backup, that fine. But that’s not where I’m staying. And when I prove that I’m a starter, I want to be able to step on the field as such.”

He’s most likely not going to supplant Carr, who just received a new contract with the Raiders. But if, after the workout, the sky doesn’t fall and the NFL world keeps spinning, maybe another team will be willing to give him a workout. And another. And maybe he’ll get a roster spot. And maybe he’ll prove to be the best option for a team like, say, the Seahawks or the Panthers or someone else who doesn’t currently have a high-end quarterback.

Regardless, this is the first actual workout Kaepernick has gotten since become a free agent in March 2017. After all this time, all those months.