Colin Kaepernick has not thrown a pass in an NFL game since 2016. However, despite what the mainstream sports media would claim, it isn’t for the lack of opportunity. Kaepernick passed on a contract extension with the San Fransico 49ers, instead choosing to test free agency hot on the heels of kneeling during the anthem and protesting perceived racial injustices in America.
Coinciding with Kaepernick’s off-the-field hijinks was the general decline of his play on the field. The quarterback was blessed with raw, natural speed and a strong arm but never fully learned how to read a defense and operate a pro-style NFL offense.
The NFL is blessed with very creative, high-functioning defensive minds, and as is always the case with gimmick quarterbacks, adjusted to his style of play and solved Kaep’s unique skillset. All that was left was a quarterback who couldn’t get past his first read and could no longer run out of harm’s way.
While this career arc isn’t unusual, in Kaepernick’s case, his social justice posturing led many to believe that he was blackballed from the league rather than not having the necessary skill set to justify the contract and the drama.
It isn’t as if he hasn’t had opportunities. Fledgling leagues like the Alliance of American Football and the XFL reached out but were met with ludicrous contract demands that they couldn’t afford. Eventually, NFL teams gave in to pressure from activist groups and granted workouts, but in one case, Kaepernick changed the workout location to suit his demands, and in another, his workout was deemed a disaster by NFL insiders.
Undeterred, his media team and the liberal media continued playing the race card and insisted Kaepernick was denied simply because he was a black activist. Of course, this assertion was absurd, considering NFL general managers and coaches need to win to keep their jobs.
Recently, the New York Jets’ prize-free agent, Aaron Rodgers, shredded his Achilles tendon and, with it, the hopes of the franchise’s season. The backup, Zach Wilson, was forced into action, and the results haven’t been exactly good.
Enter Colin Kaepernick. The erstwhile quarterback reached out to the Jets requesting a tryout and was roundly denied. Considering the amount of time he has been out of the game and his declining skills, it was no shock that he was rejected.
However, that didn’t stop the man who famously compared the NFL draft to a slave auction, as he recently sent a letter to the Jets begging to be signed to the practice squad. In a letter to the team, he stated: “I know that there are currently depth issues at the position, and I’ve heard that the backup spot is likely to be filled by a veteran Quarterback. As much as I would love the opportunity to fill that spot, I’m writing you in hopes that you can imagine a much different approach involving me; I would be honored and extremely grateful for the opportunity to come in and lead the practice squad. I would do this with the sole mission of getting your defense ready each week. If I were able to fill this role for the team, I believe this allows for multiple things.”
Practice squad players aren’t eligible to play in regular-season games and are employed as a means to mimic the upcoming week’s opposing team. They are basically the equivalent of minimum-wage workers, NFL style.
While the Jets reportedly haven’t responded, one team has. The BC Lions of the Canadian Football League have added Kaepernick to its negotiation list. Ultimately, that means the Lions have negotiation rights to the wannabe NFL quarterback should he decide to try a different route back to the American league.
According to the CFL: “Each team in the CFL can claim exclusive CFL rights to up to 45 players by placing them on their negotiation lists. Players can be added, removed, or traded from the list at any time.”
If Kaepernick is truly serious about reviving a long-dead NFL career, he will need to do it in another league. If he is serious and really wants to play football, he can do it in Canada. If that goes well, he would likely be more than welcome back into the American game.
If he turns down the Lions’ overtures, it surely will end any serious chance he will ever have of playing professional football again.
Featured image screen grab from embedded YouTube video
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