Colin Kaepernick still pushing to return to NFL: 'There will never be an instance where I'm not ready'

Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick , 36, hasn't played an NFL game since 2016, but that doesn't mean he wants to be done with the game. While on "CBS Mornings," Kaepernick explained his desire to play football and what pushes him to continue to try for a chance to join a team.

"It was 15 years of work and dedication before I ever stepped foot on an NFL field, and to have that passion and chase it for that long, you don't just give that up, you don't just walk away. You chase that. You pursue it," he said.

Not only has Kaepernick been away from the game for a while, he is also not getting any younger. There are only four starting quarterbacks in the league 36 or older: New York Jets ' Aaron Rodgers (41), Carolina Panthers ' Andy Dalton (37), Atlanta Falcons ' Kirk Cousins (36) and Los Angeles Rams ' Matthew Stafford (36).

Kaepernick maintains, despite being away from football for almost a decade, that he is still ready.

"There will never be an instance where I'm not ready, and there will never be an instance where it's because I don't want to anymore."

Kaepernick has been vocal about his desire to join an NFL team , sending messages to squads, posting videos of him training and making it known that he believes he's still in football shape.

Back in August, Kaepernick mentioned that he was still full steam ahead on staying ready.

"We're still training, still pushing. So hopefully, we've just got to get one of these team owners to open up ... I mean, it's something I've trained my whole life for," he said, adding that he could help a team win a championship.

Kaepernick had a workout with the Las Vegas Raiders in May of 2022, but nothing came of the visit.

In Kaepernick's final year as a starter in the league, he went 1-10 with just a 59.2 completion percentage, 2,241 passing yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions. That year, he also had 69 rushing attempts for 468 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

He played his entire six-year career with the San Francisco 49ers .