Will 49ers release Colin Kaepernick after national anthem protest?
Colin Kaepernick sat out the national anthem prior to the 49ers preseason game against the Packers on Friday, so will that cost him his spot on the roster?
Colin Kaepernick finds himself in the middle of a controversy after sitting out the national anthem before Friday night’s preseason game. The former quarterback who helped guide the 49ers to a Super Bowl only a few years ago could soon find himself off the team’s roster.
Kaepernick explained his decision to sit out the national anthem as a way to protest the unfair treatment of African-Americans and other minorities and the team supported his right to do so.
Typically, NFL teams like to distance themselves from any sort of controversy or potential distraction. With Kaepernick no longer the dynamic dual-threat quarterback he was under Jim Harbaugh’s watch, could Chip Kelly and the team move on from him?
Yes, it’s certainly plausible.
Kaepernick has already been the subject of trade rumors for the better part of the last year and after losing his starting job to Blaine Gabbert last year, his future in San Francisco is murky at best.
If Kaepernick can’t unseat Gabbert for the starting job and Kelly is confident in his ability to lead the team, Kaepernick could be released. But any such decision would be done for football reasons and not related to the national anthem boycott.
Even with Colin Kaepernick's comments & his decision to not stand for the anthem, the #49ers, Chip Kelly will make football decisions on Kap
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 27, 2016
Football men make football decisions and if Kaepernick can’t help the 49ers win games this year, they will move on from him just like every other NFL team will do.
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Now, whether Kaepernick is the best man for the quarterback job in Kelly’s offense or not remains to be seen, but his first preseason action didn’t do him any favors. Kaepernick looked out of sorts and rusty in his first game action since November 8 and may have sealed his fate regardless of any off-field circumstances.
Bottom Line: If Kaepernick is not on the 49ers roster this year it’s because he’s not a trusted option at quarterback and not for the national anthem boycott.