Drew Brees says Colin Kaepernick not being blackballed

Has the NFL blackballed NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick? New Orleans Saints signal caller Drew Brees certainly doesn’t think so.

With another quarterback signing in free agency on Friday in the form of Ryan Fitzpatrick going to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, this seems to be another feather in the cap of the Colin Kaepernick is being blackballed by the NFL conspiracy theorists’ tin foil hats.

The truth is Kaepernick has a unique quarterbacking skill set that would only fit in about six NFL franchises. His political stances would not play well in conservative media markets. Kaepernick would have to embrace the backup quarterback role, playing second fiddle to another dual-threat signal caller.

While the Seattle Seahawks would seem to be one of the better fits for Kaepernick entering 2017, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees opened up with FanSided’s own Mark Carman on On the Mark with Mark Carman about whether the future Hall of Fame quarterback would be open to Kaepernick signing with the Saints.

“Whatever decisions our team makes, those are in the best interest of the team, so if that was the case, then yeah, I would embrace it,” Brees said. “He is certainly good enough,” Brees said. “I don’t think it’s a situation where he is being blackballed. I’m sure there are offers being made to him. It’s just a matter of him choosing the right opportunity. He is still a young player with potentially a long career ahead of him. There is a lot to think about there, it’s just not where do I go for a year, just to bide some time.”

Brees is right in that Kaepernick is not being blackballed. Not every NFL team is equipped to handle the media circus that would come with signing the controversial former San Francisco 49ers quarterback. It would have to be a team, like the Saints, that has a strong, offensive-minded culture that could make his signing work.

Brees, Chase Daniel, Garrett Grayson and Luke McCown already compose a strong quarterback room for Saints head coach Sean Payton. Kaepernick could actually thrive in the Saints’ up-tempo offense.

Playing indoors at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome amplifies the pace with which he plays quarterback. That would bode well for a dual-threat signal caller like Kaepernick. Being in the NFC South could theoretically help Kaepernick’s accuracy as a passer playing in a southern climate.

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Of course, Brees will lean on the discretion of Payton and Saints general manager Mickey Loomis in their assessment of Kaepernick. New Orleans does need to be pragmatic about how it will eventually have to go about replacing Brees. Kaepernick is still in his late 20s. He has time to reinvent himself as a pocket passer if he is up for the challenge.