Colin Kaepernick’s chances of playing next season in the NFL are dwindling by the day.
With virtually no teams showing high interest, Kaepernick must patiently wait for a team to suffer some type of quarterback crisis in training camp, or even during the regular season.
But in the mean time, Kaepernick still has a faction of loyalists who support him despite his controversial anthem protest.
Despite not even being on a roster, Colin Kaepernick’s San Francisco 49ers jersey continues to sell well.
From CBS Sports:
Colin Kaepernick is still looking for a new team. Kaepernick opted out of his contract with the 49ers in early March, and other than a nibble from the Seattle Seahawks, has not generated much interest on the open market.
Pete Carroll’s explanation was that Kaepernick is a starting-caliber quarterback and they already have a starter. Seattle signed Austin Davis instead. New York Giants owner John Mara, whose team re-signed kicker Josh Brown despite the fact that he admitted to acts of domestic violence to team officials, said the Giants didn’t want to sign Kaepernick because he received letters from fans saying they would boycott the team if any players refused to stand for the national anthem.
Despite the fact that he does not have a team, Kaepernick still ranked among the top-20 players in the NFL in jersey sales in May, according to NFLShop.com. Kaepernick checked in 17th, ahead of players such as Matt Ryan, Russell Wilson, Cam Newton, and Adrian Peterson.
Kaepernick may not have the support of some team owners and execs, but there are plenty of players that have publicly supported his anti-police violence stance, and he obviously has the support of a significant portion of the NFL fan base as well, even if he has engendered anger from another part of it.
There’s no question Kaepernick appreciates the fan support, but he’s not getting support from the place he wants and needs it the most–from NFL teams.
Kaepernick’s protest wasn’t well-thought out from its inception. He didn’t realize he was potentially biting the hand that feeds him, though now it’s starting to crystallize.
Initially Kaepernick said he would continue his national anthem protest until America’s oppression of black people stopped. But sensing his career was in jeopardy, Kaepernick privately let teams know he would stop.
So I suppose this means he believes Donald Trump is doing a great job in the few short months he’s been in office.
If Kaepernick is persistent, he will probably get another shot in the NFL. But if he’s going to make that opportunity last, he must work on the deficiencies that put him in this precarious position in the first place.
Let’s not forget Kaepernick had been benched for very poor play, and led the 49ers to a 1-10 record when he reclaimed the job due to Blaine Gabbert’s even worse play.
Bottom line, Kaepernick must work on his game. The social work can and should be done without alienating methods.