NFL Rumors: Chicago Bears Appear To Have Changed Course On Interest In Colin Kaepernick

The Chicago Bears appear to have changed their mind on Colin Kaepernick’s comeback bid.

After the NFL announced that the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback would be holding a public workout over the weekend, reports indicated that the Bears were among the more than two dozen teams that would have a scout in attendance. Subpar play from their current quarterback, Mitch Trubisky, has accelerated rumors that Chicago may be looking for a change, and the team’s apparent interest in Kaepernick led many to peg the Bears as one of his most likely landing points.

But as Kaepernick’s plans changed and the workout moved outside of Atlanta, the Chicago Bears apparently moved on. After initial reports stated that the Bears were one of a handful of teams to follow Kaepernick from his league-organized workout to one he put together privately, NBC Sports reported that Chicago actually backed out. The report noted that it now appears the Bears are no longer considering Kaepernick, and Trubisky’s job is safe — at least for now.

In the wake of reports that the Bears had shown some interest in Kaepernick, a number of Trubisky’s teammates came out in support of him.

“Mitch Trubisky is our quarterback. We are sticking with him,” safety Eddie Jackson said in an interview with 670 The Score.

The controversy that surrounded Kaepernick’s workout may hurt his chances at signing with any team. The NFL released a statement saying it was disappointed in Kaepernick for backing out of the workout that had been planned for him, though Kaepernick’s camp said they insisted on allowing media to tape the workout in an effort to bring full transparency, a provision the league would reportedly not allow.

As ESPN reported, Jeff Nalley, Kaepernick’s agent, said after the workout that the situation may hurt Kaepernick’s chances of signing with any team, though Kaepernick himself has been vocal about wanting to return to the NFL and insisted that he is ready.

“I’ve been ready for three years,” Kaepernick said, via ESPN. “I’ve been denied for three years. We all know why I came out here. [I] showed it today in front of everybody. We have nothing to hide. So we’re waiting for the 32 owners, 32 teams, Roger Goodell, all of them stop running. Stop running from the truth. Stop running from the people.”

It’s not clear if the Bears could re-evaluation signing Kaepernick after the season ends, as Trubisky’s job is still believed to be at risk.