The Only Interest in Colin Kaepernick Over the Last Few Months Was Fake Interest Out of Guilt
Colin Kaepernick has been one of the most discussed NFL players over the past few months, and he doesn’t even have a team to call home yet. Well, it seems as if he might not find one for a while.
The 2020 season is just a few days away, and Kaepernick has reportedly received no interest from any teams in the league. In fact, the only nibbles he got during the offseason were rooted in fake interest from teams who felt bad for the quarterback.
Colin Kaepernick last played in the NFL in 2017
Kaepernick took the league by storm in 2012 when he took over as the starting QB for the San Francisco 49ers. He jumped into the starting role in the back half of the season and led the team to a Super Bowl berth in his first career postseason appearance.
In three playoff games, Kaepernick totaled 1,062 yards and seven touchdowns. The 49ers eventually fell to the Baltimore Ravens in the Super Bowl, but Kaepernick had established himself as a future NFL star for years to come.
Kaepernick followed his stellar first year with a 12-4 record in 2013 and another NFC Championship appearance. This time, he fell short of reaching the Super Bowl, but his talent and will to win were evident from a young age.
Everything went downhill for Kaepernick after 2013, though. He led the 49ers to an 8-8 record the following year and missed the playoffs for the first time as a starter. Then, Kaepernick went 3-16 in the next two seasons combined and lost his starting job in 2017. He opted out of his contract at the end of the 2016-17 season and hasn’t found another NFL job since.
Kaepernick buzz started to heat up in light of George Floyd’s death and the Black Lives Matter movement
When Kaepernick first knelt for the national anthem, many fans and even some players were infuriated with his decision to protest police brutality and racial inequality. Many believe that’s why he hasn’t been able to find a new home in the NFL.
It might’ve taken a few years, but Kaepernick’s message has finally been received by the sports world. In light of George Floyd’s death and the ongoing police brutality issue in America, sports leagues across the globe have knelt in solidarity against racial injustice.
Just like that, Kaepernick shifted from a shunned sports figure to the leader of a crucial movement for equality. A few months ago, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell even offered an apology to Kaepernick and encouraged an NFL team to sign him for the 2020 season.
After three long years, it seemed as if Kaepernick was finally going to get his second chance. Well, not so fast.
The only interest in Kaepernick this offseason has been fake interest out of guilt
If there was ever an offseason in which Kaepernick would find a job, it would’ve been this one. But the summer months have come and gone, and Kaepernick is still not an NFL quarterback.
According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, there has actually been zero interest in Kaepernick for months. After George Floyd’s death, a few teams showed “fake” interest in Kaepernick, but it turns out it was just out of guilt.
Just yesterday, the Philadelphia Eagles signed 41-year-old Josh McCown to their practice squad over Kaepernick. If that doesn’t tell you where interest in Kaepernick lies, nothing will.
Kaepernick gained some momentum with the Black Lives Matter movement coming to prominence, but no NFL team wants to touch the ex-49ers QB ahead of the 2020 season.
All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference
