In 2012 you could argue that Colin Kaepernick was one of the better quarterbacks in the league. He came in week seven after Alex Smith got hurt and he only lost twice. He only through 1800 yards and ran for 400, but he proved that he could lead a team. Then in the playoffs, he became a star. In the divisional round against Green Bay, he broke an NFL record for quarterback rushing yards in a playoff game with 181. He ended up leading the 49ers to the Super Bowl that year.
The next two seasons, his stats went up, throwing over 3000 yards both years. But then week 8 2015, he got hurt and ended up missing the season. That injury basically ended his career.
At the start of 2016, he was nothing; he was fighting for a starting quarterback position with Blaine Gabbert. All of the lights that used to shine on Kaepernick turned off, and he didn’t like it. So what did he do? He took a knee for the national anthem because he wouldn’t stand for a country that doesn’t treat blacks and whites equally.
I will not debate whether blacks and whites are treated equally here, or if Kaepernick is even black, that isn’t my point. My point is that he did it all for the attention. He wanted his name to be big again, he wanted his jerseys to sell, and he got what he wanted, but only for a little.
While players were following him taking a knee and his name was everywhere, sportswriters and talk show hosts were bashing him. He ended up bringing all of the spotlights back to San Fransisco, but the negative type.
Immediately after the season ended, the 49ers were very excited to get rid of Kaepernick, and he thought he would find a new home as a starting quarterback. After a few weeks, he was looking at being a backup quarterback. Now he just wants to make the roster. Sadly, he won’t be getting that lucky.
NFL teams hate bad publicity for the day a player enters the league; his issues will make or break a teams decision on adding him to their team. So many great players have been passed on because of the fear of off the field issues, countless players have been traded away because they have done something the front office doesn’t like. Someone like Kaepernick has the issues, and he has them bad.
Obviously, when a player is great, you don’t care what they do wrong, as long as they perform. So many players have had rape accusations, accused crimes, sold fake memorabilia, got in fights, did drugs, fought dogs, etc. While there is will be some consequences for them, the teams just want them to be on their team. Players like Ray Lewis, Jameis Winston, and Terrell Owens are so good that a team doesn’t care what there issues are. Kaepernick is not that good. He was able to play quarterback for a team with the best defense and great offensive weapons, he had his moments, but that is the past. Current Kaepernick won’t be able to lead a team anywhere except the first overall pick.
No one wants a backup quarterback that comes with so much negative attention. A backup is there to come in for the star if he goes down and helps shape the younger players. They aren’t meant to carry a negative spotlight around with them.
So what can Kaepernick do?
- He is too hated by sportswriters/broadcaster and was never good enough to become a broadcaster.
- He isn’t liked enough by the public to be an actor or at least do a commercial or two
- He certainly will never be a coach
He is stuck being Colin Kaepernick, a screw up in the NFL. A player that could have had a solid career, but ended up trying too hard for the spotlight. He will forever be a free agent.
I saw a report that three teams have contacted Kaepernick, but I bet you that none of the offer him a contract.