The XFL football league considered extending an offer to NFL free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick, but he wanted too much money.
The XFL, owned by Vince McMahon, has seen a resurgence in popularity since it was revived in 2017.
XFL commissioner Oliver Luck tells National Public Radio he extended a contract offer to Kaepernick, who has been out of work since he opted out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers in 2016.
Luck said Kaepernick’s salary requirements were too high for the fledgling league. Kaepernick demanded $20 million or more (an average of $2 million per game).
Luck hinted that Kaepernick isn’t worth $20 million.
“I don’t know,” Luck said. “That was well over a year ago, so I don’t know what kind of shape, you know, Colin is in. And, you know, we haven’t followed that because… we want the best players who are interested in playing in our league.”
Kaepernick, 32, sabotaged an opportunity to workout in front of 25 NFL teams in Atlanta last year. He switched the location of the workout at the last minute, causing many teams to cancel their appearances.
Kaepernick’s problems began when he was benched by the 49ers, and he chose not to stand for the National Anthem as a form of protest against his benching.
He later claimed he was protesting police brutality and violence against unarmed Black men in America.
