Did Commissioner Roger Goodell Just Tell Colin Kaepernick He Doesn’t Have an NFL Future?
It has been a few weeks since former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick held a workout in hopes of getting back into the league. Kaepernick made the conscious decision to go with his own event away from the one that was planned for him by the NFL, which drew some criticism for a questionable waiver attached to it. In the time that has passed, it hasn’t led to much dialogue around the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback regarding any potential tryouts. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has finally chimed on the situation that may have provided much-needed insight into the situation.
Colin Kaepernick’s workout
Last month, the NFL decided to set up a workout for Kaepernick to get NFL teams lined to see what he can offer at this point in his career. It was the first time that the league had put that together for any player.
However, things had quickly fallen apart in the days ahead of the scheduled event that ultimately saw Kaepernick elect to switch it up last-second and hold his own workout at a different location a few hours away. The NFL scheduled to have a combined-style workout with nearly all the teams in the league in attendance.
Kaepernick’s choice to not do the planned workout by the league came down to a shady waiver that he had to sign to get the opportunity to participate in it. There was some notable difference in that paperwork that was much different than a standard waiver that included that he could not file any additional league action against the NFL ever again.
In the time that has followed, there was much backlash thrown in Kaepernick’s direction for choosing to hold his own workout, but no public comments from Roger Goodell. That has changed this week as Goodell has voiced some intriguing comments about the entire situation.
Roger Goodell weighs in on Colin Kaepernick’s workout
Throughout the last few weeks, Goodell has been notably quiet about the workout situation regarding Kaepernick.
The NFL commissioner broke his silence on Wednesday as he voiced that he believes that the 32-year-old had chosen not to take the league up on a created opportunity and that they have since moved on, according to Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk.
“I haven’t thought about this in a few weeks,” Goodell said. “This was, as I’ve said to you before, about creating an opportunity. Which Colin’s representatives came out in early October [with a list of false narratives about Kaepernick], and we created that opportunity. It was a unique opportunity, incredible opportunity, and he chose not to take it. I understand that. And, you know, we’ve moved on.”
Goodell’s comments give off the sense that the NFL has moved on from the situation entirely that looks to have closed the window of Kaepernick’s possible return. It essentially sounds like he is stating that the league did it’s best to give the former star quarterback a chance to make a comeback but that he passed up on it.
It may be painting a broad stroke on Goodell’s words, but it’s hard to interpret them in any other manner. Kaepernick has been out of the league for three years, and it doesn’t appear that it could be changing anytime soon.
Will Colin Kaepernick ever get an NFL opportunity?
The fact that Goodell has come out so strongly on the matter has significantly shut the door on Kaepernick.
It has further put a damper on his chances of returning to the league, with the commissioner stating that they are moving on from it entirely. That may lead to several teams that may have had interest to back off even further, with what they perceive as him being a potential distraction.
The bottom line is that Kaepernick displayed in his workout that he still has the talent that belongs on an NFL roster. It’s merely on the teams to decide whether to extend him an opportunity to play in the league again. Kaepernick has made his intentions clear that he wants to get back to playing in the NFL, but that scenario is out of his control.
