Colin Kaepernick is getting his first chance to work out for an NFL team since last playing in the league in 2016 when he started kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality.

Two people familiar with the situation said Kaepernick will work out for the Las Vegas Raiders on Wednesday. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the team hadn’t announced the workout plans. ESPN first reported that the Raiders were bringing in Kaepernick.

Kaepernick hasn’t played since the end of the 2016 season when he was cut by San Francisco when the new regime led by coach Kyle Shanahan wanted to go a different direction at quarterback.

Kaepernick never got another opportunity even to work out for NFL teams as he alleged he had been blackballed over his protests during the anthem the previous season. He met with Seattle and had informal talks with Baltimore but never got a closer look.

He filed a grievance with the NFL in 2017 over his lack of opportunity and settled it in 2019 – but still never got another look.

The Raiders have been at the forefront on diversity over their history, hiring Tom Flores as the second coach of Hispanic descent, Art Shell as the first Black coach in modern history and Amy Trask as the first female CEO.

Owner Mark Davis has publicly said he would back his coaches if they wanted to take a look at Kaepernick, and first-year coach Josh McDaniels is doing just that.

The Raiders don’t have a glaring need at quarterback after signing starter Derek Carr to an extension last month. Las Vegas also signed Nick Mullens as a backup this offseason, traded for Jarrett Stidham and signed Chase Garbers as an undrafted free agent.

But none of those backups has the pedigree of Kaepernick, who emerged as one of the league’s young stars when he took over as starter in San Francisco in 2012, and helped the Niners reach the Super Bowl that season.

Kaepernick’s play started to regress in 2014 and he got hurt halfway through the next season and lost his starting job. Things changed the next preseason when Kaepernick began protesting during the national anthem, drawing the ire of critics that included then presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Kaepernick regained his starting job in 2016 and threw 16 TD passes and four interceptions in 12 games, while posting a 90.7 passer rating.

RAVENS: Practice this week for the Baltimore Ravens looked a bit like it did at the end of last season.

Several significant absences – including quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Wednesday was the first day reporters were invited to observe one of the Ravens’ organized team activities. Jackson wasn’t there, and although OTAs are voluntary, when the franchise quarterback isn’t around, it’s at the very least noteworthy.

“It’s not for me to speak for somebody else on that,” Coach John Harbaugh said. “It’s up to him to speak for himself.”

In other words, there would be no public reaction from the coach about Jackson’s absence. On Tuesday, Jackson retweeted a Ravens tweet about the first day of OTAs, saying he couldn’t wait to get back.

“I think as long as guys are working, no matter where they are, I think that’s the biggest key,” cornerback Marlon Humphrey said. “I spoke with Lamar early in the offseason. He said he’ll be coming in, so we’ll look real excited to get him out here.”

The Ravens will also hold OTAs open to the media each of the next two Wednesdays, followed by mandatory minicamp June 14-16.

Jackson missed the last four games last season because of ankle problems. Baltimore dropped six in a row to finish 8-9. Injuries were a constant problem; Humphrey missed the last four games as well with a torn pectoral muscle.

STEELERS: The Pittsburgh Steelers stayed in-house to find Kevin Colbert’s replacement, promoting longtime executive Omar Khan to be the team’s next general manager.

Khan signed a four-year deal to succeed Colbert, who is retiring at the end of the month following a hugely successful run that included two Super Bowl victories and an appearance in a third.

The 45-year-old Khan has spent more than two decades with the Steelers, joining the club in 2001 as a football operations coordinator. He’s served in several different capacities for the team throughout his tenure, most recently as vice president of football and business administration, which required him to be heavily involved in helping the club navigate its always tenuous salary cap situation.

LAWSUIT: The NFL said it will appeal a ruling denying a request to move former Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden’s lawsuit against the league from a public courtroom into closed-door arbitration. Gruden’s lawsuit accuses the NFL of leaking his racist, sexist and homophobic emails to force him to resign last October.

“Neither the NFL nor the Commissioner (Roger Goodell) leaked Coach Gruden’s offensive emails,” the league said in a statement issued after Clark County District Court Judge Nancy Allf rejected league bids to dismiss Gruden’s claim outright or to order out-of-court talks that could be overseen by Goodell.

The judge pointed to Gruden’s allegation that the league intentionally leaked only his documents. She said that could show evidence of “specific intent,” or an act designed to cause a particular result.

The judge’s ruling in the case that Gruden filed last November marked the first public skirmish in what could become a long legal battle pitting the coach who departed the Raiders with more than six seasons remaining on his record 10-year, $100 million contract against Goodell.

Attorneys for both sides declined to comment following a 90-minute hearing before Allf.

Gruden emerged from the courtroom declaring “Go Raiders” and told reporters as he walked to an elevator that he was “just going to let the process take care of itself.”

Goodell did not attend the hearing. The civil case alleges contract interference and conspiracy by the league and seeks monetary damages for Gruden.

BROWNS: Jadeveon Clowney re-signed with Cleveland to once again chase quarterbacks alongside All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett.

The Associated Press was one of several outlets to report Clowney agreed to terms on a contract worth up to $11 million last week. He’s now back on the roster as the team continues its offseason program.

• Deshaun Watson was impossible to miss in his orange jersey, pants and helmet – the one with “Watson” taped on the front just in case anyone wasn’t sure.

As he showed off his right arm with tight spirals, engaged in friendly trash talk, smiled and laughed while interacting with new teammates, the Browns’ quarterback didn’t look a bit distracted by the storm swirling around him.

Hours after two of the massage therapists accusing him of sexual misconduct gave graphic descriptions to a national TV audience of sessions they say scarred them, Watson continued a career that could still be put on hold.

Watson, who signed a $230 million contract with Cleveland in March, practiced as the NFL moved closer to ending an investigation into whether he violated its personal-conduct policy.

The 26-year-old Watson didn’t speak to reporters, but did make a brief appearance in front of the media following the workout to present linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. with a gift – presumably for giving up No. 4 to accommodate the QB.

“Appreciate you,” Watson told Walker.

“Appreciate that,” Walker said, placing a small, square box with the Rolex logo at his feet while opting not to open it in public.

It’s been another eventful 24 hours for Watson and the Browns, who have received some criticism for signing the three-time Pro Bowler to the richest contract in league history while he’s engulfed in legal issues.

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