Report: Seahawks delay Kaepernick visit after QB declines to stop kneeling during anthem

WASHINGTON (WJLA) — The Seattle Seahawks have postponed a visit with free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick after he reportedly declined to stop kneeling during the national anthem next season, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Schefter tweeted that the team arranged for Kaepernick to work out for them this week. He also reported that Seattle may still consider bringing him in for a tryout, though a final decision has not been made.

According to Schefter, the Seahawks reached out to Kaepernick two weeks ago to schedule a visit to the team's facility. A source told ESPN the team wanted to know that the quarterback wouldn't kneel during the upcoming season, but Kaepernick was not willing to guarantee that to the club.

Schefter reportedKaepernick had a deposition with NFL attorneys in New York. The deposition is related to the free agent's lawsuit against the NFL asserting owners colluded to keep him out of the league because of his protests during the anthem.

Kaepernick has been out of the NFL since 2016. As a member of the San Francisco 49ers in 2016, the quarterback began kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial and social injustice, and police brutality against African Americans and other people of color.

Kaepernick left the Niners later that year, and ESPN reported the team would have released him had he not opted to leave.

The movement grew even larger in 2017 as more NFL players began to kneel during the national anthem.

President Donald Trump called for the firing of players who kneeled during the anthem. Following his comments, he tweeted, "Very important that NFL players STAND tomorrow, and always for the playing of our National Anthem. Respect our Flag and our Country!"

In November 2017, Kaepernick was named GQ's "Citizen of the Year." In the GQ article, the free agent says he wanted to participate in the story to set the record straight as to why he held protests during the national anthem.

Trump and other critics attempted to change the narrative by claiming that Kaepernick's kneeling during the anthem was unpatriotic.

Reports later surfaced that NFL owners were considering requiring their players to stand during the national anthem.

Kaepernick filed a grievance in October 2017 against the NFL accusing owners of collusion. He began the process of filing the grievance under the league's Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

Supporters of Kaepernick have criticized the NFL owners for not giving him a job. Instead, teams have chosen to sign other quarterbacks with far less experience and less impressive resumes. In 2017, several starting quarterbacks played inconsistent or suffered season ending injuries.

In six NFL seasons, Kaepernick has thrown for 12,271 yards, 72 touchdowns and 30 interceptions with a completion percentage of 59.8, while rushing for 2,300 yards and 13 touchdowns. He has a career quarterback rating of 88.9 and has appeared in two NFC Championship games and Super Bowl XLVII.

Kaepernick finished with 2,241 yards passing, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions while rushing for 468 yards and two scores as a part of a 49ers team that finished 2-14 in 2016.