Why Is Colin Kaepernick Still Not Signed?
Free Agency Season is winding down as the draft approaches. Several big names have already switched teams, but so have several marginal talents, most notably at the quarterback position. Geno Smith switched locker rooms in MetLife Stadium. EJ Manuel, who played the position with the precision of a high school quarterback, somehow got a deal. Josh Freakin' McCown, a real inspiration who never let his obvious lack of ability to play quarterback prevent him from surviving 15 years in the NFL, signed a 1 year deal with the Jets. One big name remains unemployed. Colin Rand Kaepernick.
For those of you who've been living in the woods for 7 months, Kaepernick chose to kneel during the national anthem to, in his words, draw attention to the oppression of ethnic and racial minorities in the country. To call it divisive is a fantastic understatement. The Seton Hall Sports Poll found out just as much. Although 80% supported his right to protest, only 47% supported Kaepernick's protest. Perhaps the biggest, most divisive factor is age. Among ages 18-29, only 25% of those surveyed disapproved of Kaepernick. This number rises to 44% for those aged 30-44, 53% for ages 45-60, and 60% for those older than 60. Among racial lines, there was 2 to 1 support for Kaepernick among African Americans. These findings confirm one of my suspicions about Kaepernick's situation. Many of those pulling strings high up within NFL organizations are not exactly feeling rosy about Kaepernick. With recent reports from NFL front officers backing up those statistics, the idea that the protest is not feeding into him being a free agent is simply not a practical one to believe. The only question is the degree to which the protest is affecting him.
A common position to hold for those either against Kaepernick or unwilling to discuss the complex nature of his protest is the idea that Kaepernick's play is declining. Not only is it not declining, it's improving. Last year, he threw for 2,241 yards, 16 TD, and just 4 INTs. This gave him the best TD-INT ratio of his career. In addition, he ran for 468 yards and 2 TDs. When you look on tape (thanks NFL Gamepass), his play at QB backs up the statistical bump. He has learned to move in and throw from the pocket, move onto his second read, and stop forcing throws into double coverage. He managed to pull this off with a surrounding cast that could easily be considered the worst in the league. How much of this improvement can be attributed to Chip Kelly, I do not know. I do know, however, that you can not look at Kaepernick and claim that he has regressed based on last year.
Kaepernick's window to find a starting job is fading fast. Most teams in the league are set with their starting quarterback for next year, either through retaining an incumbent starter or through free agency. Of those left over, most of them are looking to draft a quarterback. A backup job may be the most likely option for Kaepernick. However, Kaepernick warrants a starting job based off his recent play. He should at least earn a backup job, especially considering the motley crew of signal callers who have gotten a deal. Unfortunately, the political and societal views of owners and GMs may be the reason that even a backup job may be out of reach.
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