AAF reached out to Kaepernick, Tebow

The kickoff for the Alliance of American Football was met with unexpected buzz last weekend, drawing better ratings than the likes of the NBA. Although the AAF's charm is that the vast majority of the players aren't recognizable mainstream names, co-founder Bill Polian has tried to reel in arguably the two most famous quarterbacks outside the NFL: Colin Kaepernick and Tim Tebow.

Kaepernick was approached to play in the AAF by the league's CEO, Charlie Ebersol, while Polian said he spoke personally to Tebow.

"I don't know what transpired, but he's obviously not playing," Polian said of Kaepernick to The Athletic's Lindsay Jones. He added that Tebow declined his offer.

The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback wanted $20 million or more to consider playing in the AAF, a source told The Associated Press' Barry Wilner.

AAF players earn salaries of $225,000 over three years, but they're eligible to pursue NFL opportunities beginning in May. However, players are obligated to return to the nascent league the next season if they're unable to catch on in the NFL.

Kaepernick hasn't played in the NFL since opting out of his contract with the 49ers in March 2016, while Tebow is currently a member of the New York Mets after his football career fizzled out in 2015.