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Damned If He Do, Damned If He Don’t

Colin Kaepernick is a free agent now. Has he toned down his political stances to help his chances with other teams? Is there a place for him in the NFL?

By Kenneth WilsonPublished 7 years ago 3 min read
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The Undefeated

Guess what guys? Colin Kaepernick is back in the news again, even as nauseating as it may sound to some. No need for further pleasantries though, let’s get right to it.

As we all know by now, Kap was all the buzz for a good part of the season as he kneeled as the “National Anthem” was being performed, or didn’t want to stand for the things he says it “represents”. As the movement started to grow, other players joined in by also taking knees and other gestures of solidarity such as the “raised fist”. There was a hefty amount of resistance to Kaepernick’s protest as those that were against it said that it was “un-American” and/or “anti-military”, while those that didn’t mind it said that it was in fact his American right to “choose” or “protest”. In any event, he finished the season protesting, and as the 49’ers starting quarterback. There are a couple of fascinating tidbits about this situation though. The first would be that he is now a free agent, and the second is that he wasn’t all that bad in his last few games with the Niners’.

Independence Tribune

You may be asking by now, “but where are the current events”? The news here is that upon declaring as a free agent a few days ago, Kaepernick released a statement saying that he would no longer be kneeling as a form of protest during the anthem. Convenient? Low hanging fruit? All of the above. The catch here though is that his reasoning behind his decision is rational, logical, and most importantly obvious. He doesn’t have to say that the protest has served its purpose because there is clearly a large amount of dialogue that has been generated as a result of said protest. Along with that, he doesn’t have to say that he will not be protesting because he wants the opportunity to continue playing quarterback in this league, because what logical person in their right mind wouldn’t?

As far as Kaepernick actually having that shot to continue his career, there are opportunities to be had. Kap could probably be a starter in the right situation, but probably not one that is currently slated to be in a team’s plans for the future. Although he may get signed as a “bridge” option initially, he is still young and just talented enough to perhaps change one general manager’s mind. The key thing to remember in any league is that all it takes is one general manager to believe, just one. This option could be somewhere such as the New York Jets, the Chicago Bears, or dare I say the Cleveland Browns? I pity the fool who winds up under center in Cleveland, *Mr T voice*, so he isn’t looking to go there but who knows? As far as his other options, he could go somewhere and possibly be a top 2 backup in this league if not the best. Teams like Seattle, Houston (who could also use him as a “bridge”), and even New England come to mind, especially if they do decide to part ways with “Jimmy G” as all reports are pointing towards.

Sporting News

The moral of the story here is that if you are up in arms about Kap taking a knee, or not, shut your mouth. Any of us would make the same decision as far as the business end goes, doing or not doing something that could prevent/help us attain/keep employment. Besides, he still has something to offer, and the team that takes a chance might just be surprised with the offerings they receive.

football
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About the Creator

Kenneth Wilson

SPORTS...food...culture...music! VA raised me. Can't handle the real..........you might want to make like a tree....10-4?!

Follow me on twitter @Ksaidwhat

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