The Baltimore Ravens are still determining whether or not to sign Colin Kaepernick, general manager Ozzie Newsome said in a statement Wednesday.
"We are going through a process, and we have not made a decision," Newsome said. "Steve Bisciotti has not told us we cannot sign Colin Kaepernick, nor has he blocked the move. Whoever is making those claims is wrong."
The statement from Newsome comes in response to a report from ESPN on Wednesday that coach John Harbaugh and Newsome supported signing Kaepernick, but team owner Steve Bisciotti was resisting the move. The report comes out less than a week after Harbaugh mentioned the free-agent quarterback as a possibility for the Ravens in the wake of Joe Flacco's back injury.
Ravens president Dick Cass said over the weekend the team had direct conversations with Kaepernick. Cass and Bisciotti said the Ravens also reached out to veteran players, Ravens great Ray Lewis, fans and various sponsors to gauge their reaction to potentially signing Kaepernick. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback became a polarizing figure in and outside the football world for his decision to take a knee during the playing of the national anthem before games in protest of the treatment of minorities in the United States.
The Seattle Seahawks are the only other team to express formal interest in Kaepernick since he opted out of his 49ers contract in March. He took part in a meet-and-greet with the Seahawks in May, but the team ended up signing quarterback Austin Davis instead.
If the Ravens decided to sign Kaepernick, he could provide competition for QB Ryan Mallett, who has so far struggled at junctures in camp. Harbaugh told reporters Wednesday that Flacco has been doing well in treatment for his injury and "all indications have been very positive." Flacco initially injured his back three weeks ago, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.
