The Facts: As Kaepernick continues to ready himself for a potential comeback in the NFL, the free-agent quarterback is looking for any opportunity to complete his return. In a rare sit-down interview, Kaepernick said on the I AM ATHLETE YouTube channel that he's willing to take on a backup QB role in the NFL in order to get his foot in the door. "Yeah. I know I have to find my way back in," Kaepernick said Monday. "So, yeah, if I have to come in as a backup that's 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. I just need that opportunity to walk through the door."

Diehards Line: Kaepernick, 34, recently worked out in front of NFL scouts during halftime at the University of Michigan's spring game on April 2. The workout was assembled by Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, who coached Kaepernick in San Francisco through his first four years in the league from 2011 to 2014. The coach-QB duo helped take the 49ers to Super Bowl XLVII in the 2012 season. In 69 career games, Kaepernick, a second-round pick in 2011, has thrown for 12,271 yards, 72 touchdowns and 30 interceptions while adding 2,300 rushing yards and 13 TDs on the ground. Kaepernick last suited up in the NFL in the 2016 season, during which he peacefully protested social injustice and police brutality by kneeling during the national anthem. Kaepernick went unsigned the following offseason after becoming a free agent, and has since been steadily working toward another opportunity in the league. Kaepernick said that the long campaign for a potential return is evidence of his strong desire to play again. "That's five years of training behind the scenes to make sure I'm ready and stay ready at the highest level," he said. "You don't do that if you don't have a passion or you don't believe, you're gonna find a way on that field."