Redskins rule out making move for Kaepernick

WASHINGTON Redskins head coach Jay Gruden ruled out making a move for Colin Kaepernick on Tuesday as the team grappled with an injury crisis that has left their two first-choice quarterbacks out for the season.

Kaepernick, who has been unemployed s i nce bei ng released by the San Francisco 49ers in 2017, claims he is being punished by the NFL for his “take a knee” protests during the national anthem to raise awareness over racial injustice.

The 31-year-old has said he hopes to return to the NFL despite being repeatedly overlooked by teams.

Kaepernick was linked to the Redskins after a seasonending injury to quarterback Colt McCoy during Washing- ton’s defeat by Philadelphia.

The Redskins had already lost starter Alex Smith with a season-ending injury, and finished the game against the Eagles with journeyman signal-caller Mark Sanchez at quarterback.

Gruden said on Tuesday that while Kaepernick’s availability had been discussed by team officials, no move would be made for him.

“He’s been discussed for sure,” Gruden said. “It’s just going to be a matter of which way you want to go.”

Gruden said the team questioned whether Kaepernick would have enough time to learn a “whole new offence”.

“There’s not a lot of time to get a brand-new quarterback and system installed in a couple of days,” Gruden said. “He’s been talked about, but we’ll probably go in n a different direction.” n.”

Gruden insisted sted it was purely a sporting porting decision, and not a r e f l e c t i o n o n Kaepernick’s social cial activism.

“Just football, ll, strictly football,” ” Gruden s ai d. . “When you’re e talking about a backup quarterback back this late in the game, you want ant someone with h a similar skillset to the quarterback ck you have.

“Not that Colin lin can’t do some of the things we’ve ve talked about, but we want someone ne with a little m more familiarity.” Gruden’s explanation was greeted w with scepticism by Kaeper Kaepernick’s attorney Mark Geragos however.

“Isn’t “it obvious what’s w happening?” Geragos G told the Washington W Post. Richard Sherman, cornerback for f the San Francisco c 49ers, was similarly simil critical, telling NBC’s PFTPM podcast pod he believed K a e p e r n i c k w a s being bein ostracised. “I think t it’s one of those situations where, it’s disappointing, dis but that’s exactly e the case, you know, kno because there’s nothing nothin legally stopping the teams from doing it,” Sherman said.

“There’s not enough public pressure, nothing that’s going to force a team to sign him, you know?”

Sherman said Kaepernick, who led the 49ers to the brink of a Super Bowl victory in 2013 only to suffer a 34-31 defeat to the Baltimore Ravens, was more deserving of an NFL roster spot than McCoy or Sanchez.

“They’ve had up and down years and Colin has played at a higher level than I would say any of those guys ever performed at the peak of their careers,” Sherman said.

“You start to see stuff like that and it’s almost like teams are purposefully making it obvious that, like, they’re keeping him out.”