NFL news: Colin Kaepernick, Robert Griffin III finally get suitors, draw interest from Seattle Seahawks

For the first time, a team has expressed interest on veteran NFL quarterbacks Colin Kaepernick and Robert Griffin III. Head coach Pete Carroll is reportedly considering one of the two to back up starting quarterback Russell Wilson.

It was Seahawks general manager John Schneider who reportedly touched base with Colin Kaepernick’s agent, according to NBC Sports. The latest buzz comes barely a week after the former San Francisco 49ers player said that he and his agent had not received any calls from NFL teams.

The shift in attention could possibly be because of the falling out of Trevone Boykin. The Seahawks backup quarterback has been arrested twice this offseason. Seattle may have grown tired of his off-field run-ins. Apparently, these are distractions the Seahawks don’t want to deal with heading into the 2017-18 NFL season.

The Seahawks are obviously looking for experience to back up Wilson, so it may boil down to the asking price. No details were given as of writing. All of that could go down once Seattle decided on who between Kaepernick or RG3 best fills that backup quarterback slot.

“We’re looking at everybody. We really are,” Carroll said via ESPN. “We’ve been tracking everything that’s going on, and we’ve got cap and roster issues and stuff like that that we’re still trying to manage properly. But quite frankly, yes, we are looking at all those guys.”

Aside from Boykin, other backup players for the Seahawks include Jake Heaps, Skyler Howard and Michael Birdsong. The experience and mobility of Kaepernick and/or Griffin could be a big improvement, though it depends on whether both sides can come up with an acceptable financial package.

Griffin has been quietly waiting since being released by the Browns after last season. Kaepernick, on the other hand, has been drawing more attention due to his 2016-17 NFL season antics. These include the kneeling protests during the national anthem and his controversial rant on the late Fidel Castro.

Kaepernick has drawn support from fellow NFL players and celebrities, most feeling that the NFL player is being blackballed. With the offseason preparations ramping up, teams like the Seahawks may be finally making their move on proven quarterbacks despite the distractions.

A better picture on who Seattle choose between Kaepernick and Griffin should be known in the weeks to come. There are still several NFL teams in need of a backup quarterback, so it would not be surprising to hear Kaepernick getting more calls soon.