The Alliance of American Football reached out to quarterbacks Colin Kaepernick and Tim Tebow about playing in the spring league, co-founder Bill Polian told The Athletic this week.
That's big news, but Kaepernick's purported response is eye-popping.
The former 49ers quarterback, 31, wanted $20 million or more to consider playing with the league that started play last weekend, The Associated Press reported, citing an unidentified person with knowledge of the conversation.
Neither side has publicly acknowledged the discussions, but Kaepernick's price tag clearly made him a non-starter — literally and figuratively. AAF players' non-guaranteed contracts pay them $225,000 over three years, but they also are free beginning in May to pursue NFL careers.
Tebow declined to join the league, Polian said. The former NFL QB will be in the Mets' MLB camp this spring as he pursues a career in baseball.
A couple notes after talking to Bill Polian about AAF:
— Lindsay Jones (@bylindsayhjones) February 14, 2019
1) CEO Charlie Ebersol reached out to Colin Kaepernick about interest in playing in the league. "I don't know what transpired, but he's obviously not playing," Polian said. Polian personally spoke to Tim Tebow, who declined.
Kaepernick, the former 49ers quarterback, began kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial injustice in 2016. The quarterback opted out of his contract with San Francisco in March 2017 and has not found work in the NFL since.
He threw for 72 touchdowns with 30 interceptions during his six seasons with the 49ers. He also rushed for 13 scores and led the Niners to the Super Bowl after the 2012 NFL season.
Meanwhile, Tebow has been out of the NFL since 2012. The former Florida star, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2007, is currently playing minor league baseball in the Mets organization.
Polian and Charlie Ebersol co-founded the AAF in 2018. The league’s inaugural games were last weekend.