HOUSTON – For the first time since hitting free agency in 2017, Colin Kaepernick popped up throwing a football in a public space on Thursday.

Ringed by staff protecting a private workout, Kaepernick spent the morning throwing into a stiff wind at a Houston workout facility on the south side of the city. For roughly 90 minutes, he went through a traditional quarterback workout, simulating drops from center and throwing an array of different routes to training staff. The workout featured largely short and intermediate throws, but Kaepernick uncorked a handful of deeper passes displaying the arm strength that defined the peak of his NFL career.

It’s not known why Kaepernick was in Houston working out, but no NFL team appeared to be in attendance. A source with the Houston Texans told Yahoo Sports the team was unaware of the workout or Kaepernick‘s presence in the city. Kaepernick retreated to a private area of the facility after the workout.

A trainer took video as Kaepernick went through the workout and occasionally stopped the throwing session to watch portions of the footage with the quarterback. While Yahoo Sports got a few short portions of video, the workout took place on a fenced-in field under tight security, with staffers halting attempts to record the practice.

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