There is this notion that Colin Kaepernick is a free agent because he knelt in protest during the national anthem last season. That is simply incorrect.
Seattle Seahawks All-Pro corner Richard Sherman has been vocal in support of Colin Kaepernick. He went on the record to ESPN, stating that Kaepernick is being blackballed for kneeling during the nation anthem, citing his belief that the former San Francisco 49er could start for 20 teams.
Richard Sherman would be wildly incorrect.
Kaepernick, who turns 30 years old in November, remains a free agent because of his recent track record on the field, not his stance on the sideline. Over the past two seasons, he has twice lost his job to Blaine Gabbert. Gabbert, one of the bigger draft busts in the last 15 years, has been able to stave off the former University of Nevada star on two occasions.
That matters. The first time came well before his protests.
Kaepernick got the starting job back in October, but was mediocre. He completed 59.2 percent of his throws for 6.8 yards per attempt. Those stats are both well below NFL average.
This isn’t a question of race or distraction. This is a question of talent outweighing the drawbacks. If Kaepernick didn’t kneel during the anthem, perhaps he’s worth a contract befitting a quality backup. With the lack of good tape and the anthem stance? Why not simply sign Josh McCown or Brian Hoyer, especially when they will cost a third, or less, of what Kaepernick wants?
Pundits in all walks of media life need to get off their socially-motivated soapbox. Kaepernick is going to get a job, probably around the same time Jay Cutler does. By the way, Cutler is a better quarterback, and white, and he doesn’t have a job. To reiterate, this isn’t a race thing. It’s not a distraction thing. It’s a law of diminishing returns thing.
The NFL doesn’t care about distractions. It truly doesn’t. Team executives and coaches talk about them all the time, but if they believe a player has the requisite talent to make a positive impact, they look past the blemishes.
In 1998, Leonard Little got in his car, legally drunk, and killed Susan Gutweiler in an automobile wreck. He was suspended eight games by the league. Just over 15 months later, Little won the Super Bowl with the St. Louis Rams. In 2004, Little was again arrested for DWI. The Rams didn’t blink an eye, signing him to a $19 million extension two years later.
More recently, Greg Hardy was signed by the Dallas Cowboys after he was found guilty on two counts of domestic violence. Hardy, a member of the Carolina Panthers at the time of the incident, was suspended 15 games without pay and eventually released by the team. Dallas owner and general manager Jerry Jones, seeing an opportunity to add a pass-rushing defensive end on the cheap, swooped in and signed Hardy for one year and $11.3 million. Jones later told the Dallas Morning News that he hoped the two sides would eventually agree on a long-term deal.
Kaepernick is not a victim of his protest. He’s a victim of his own play, showcasing mediocre-to-bad football since going to the NFC Championship Game in 2013.