RIVERDALE, Ga. — Colin Kaepernick’s long journey from Super Bowl quarterback to N.F.L. exile to media machine made a pit stop at Charles R. Drew High School south of Atlanta on Saturday.

There, in shorts and a black tank top, the former San Francisco 49ers star zipped passes to four receivers running routes on the football field. Eight N.F.L. scouts looked on, one of them later calling the performance “impressive.” As the sun faded and the temperature dropped, a couple hundred people stood along a chain-link fence behind one end zone and cheered.

“Stay focused, man! We believe in you!” one fan yelled.

The question these days is who to believe. Part N.F.L. tryout, part public rally, part media circus, the impromptu workout was put together in a few hours after a contentious week of negotiations between the quarterback and the league. It was the latest twist in a showdown that has captivated the sports world since Kaepernick began kneeling during the national anthem at the start of the 2016 season.

After signing autographs for fans, many wearing his 49ers jersey, Kaepernick returned to the field and spoke to the media for the first time in years.