Seahawks' Pete Carroll Has 'Regrets' Over Not Signing Kaepernick In 2017

Pete Carroll feels he could have done more to help get Colin Kaepernick on an NFL roster following a meeting in 2017 ... and "regrets" the way things played out.

The Seattle Seahawks head coach says he spent half a day with the QB back in 2017 -- but the team ultimately passed because they were convinced Colin was starter material and they didn't want to sign him as a backup.

"The fact that it didn't work out for us, I figured he was going to wind up starting somewhere for sure and it just didn't happen. The rest of that story is one that I regret that that didn't happen in some fashion."

Carroll added, "I wish we would have contributed to it cause the guy deserves to play."

Seems Carroll stopped short of saying he regrets not signing Kap -- but rather regrets not doing more to ensure Kap ended up on another roster that year.

But, get this ... Pete went on to say that he DID get a call Thursday from another NFL team that seemed to have interest in Kap.

"Someone is interested," Carroll told reporters without giving away which team was on the other line.

As we previously reported, 32-year-old Colin has been working out and training every day -- preparing himself as if he'll play in the NFL in 2020.

Sources tell us ... the 2017 meeting with the Seahawks was the ONLY time Colin got a real interview with an NFL franchise after parting ways with the 49ers in 2016.

Nothing else materialized either before or after.