Lions plan to send representative to Colin Kaepernick's workout

Allen Park — Sticking with the franchise's philosophy of leaving no stone unturned in player evaluation and acquisition, the Detroit Lions plan to send a representative to quarterback Colin Kaepernick's workout in Atlanta this weekend. 

"As an organization, we always do our due diligence on players that are available,"Lions coach Matt Patricia said. "I know (general manager) Bob (Quinn) and his staff will have somebody down there to watch the workout. We’ll see where that goes."

Kaepernick, 32, last played in an NFL game in 2016. Well-known for his national anthem protests, he filed a lawsuit against the league alleging the 32 owners conspired to keep him out the league. That case was settled out of court this February. 

Saturday's workout will be conducted in Atlanta and will include interviews, measurements, on-field testing and quarterback drills. 

"I’ve been in shape and ready for this for three years," Kaepernick tweeted. "Can’t wait to see the head coaches and GMs on Saturday."

A second-round pick in 2011, Kaepernick has played six seasons, all with the San Francisco 49ers. In 69 games, including 58 starts, he completed 59.8 percent of his passes for 12,271 yards, 72 touchdowns and 30 interceptions. The dual-threat also ran for 2,300 yards and 13 scores. 

Kaepernick also appeared in six playoff games, leading the 49ers to the Super Bowl in 2013, which they lost, 34-31 to the Baltimore Ravens.

The Lions were missing starting quarterback Matthew Stafford last week and started backup Jeff Driskel in his place. Although far less experienced than Kaepernick, Driskel possesses a similar dual-threat skill set. 

In the loss to the Chicago Bears, Driskel completed 27 of his 46 throws for 269 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He also led the Lions in rushing with 37 yards on five scrambles. 

"I was really pleased with Jeff and the way that he played in the game," Patricia said. "I thought the poise for him to be able to go in and do what he did was really good. He was understanding of what we needed to do with the game plan. I think that’s where we are as a team, but I know we always do our due diligence when that stuff comes."

jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @Justin_Rogers