Kaepernick ‘versus the world’
Football notables weigh in on why QB’s still out of work after polarizing protest
He’s the most talked-about NFL player, yet free-agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick doesn’t even have a team.
He remains a polarizing figure, a martyr to some, malcontent to others, and lightning rod for virtually everyone since he took a knee during the U.S. national anthem in the name of protesting social injustices.
Earlier this month, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman told USA Today that the former San Francisco 49ers star “may not be the best, but he’s better than a lot of these dudes starting.”
“Now if you told me this guy threw eight pick-sixes last year and played like a bum, had no talent, that’s one thing,” Sherman said. “But (Tampa Bay backup) Ryan Fitzpatrick, (Baltimore backup) Ryan Mallett or whoever is playing for the Jets right now — whoever is starting for the Jets is terrible — have jobs. You’re telling me fans would rather you lose and put a worse player out there because a guy took a stand? That’s where it’s so troublesome to me.”
Pointing out Kaepernick had 16 touchdown passes and four interceptions last season, Sherman said the reason the quarterback doesn’t have a job is the protests. “What is it about?” he said. “It’s not about football or colour. It’s about, ‘Boy, stay in your place.’ ”
Other have protested and continue to do so — Sherman’s teammate, defensive end Michael Bennett, plans to sit during the anthem this season to protest social injustice, like Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch did on the weekend — but unlike them, Kaepernick is out of work.
Here’s how some prominent football figures see it:
WARREN MOON
NFL and CFL QB great
“Certain teams don’t want to deal with the backlash of bringing him in. There is going to be a lot of controversy, a lot of distraction for their players to have to answer those types of questions. In training camp, teams just want things to be as normal as they possibly can be. That’s part of it . . . And then there’s certain offences that he just can’t play in. He’s just not good enough to play in those types of offences where you have to really go through your read progressions, throwing the ball down the field. But I still think as soon as one of these starters goes down (Kaepernick will catch on with a team).”
TIM BROWN
Former all-pro receiver
“Obviously, if he’s good enough to play in the league, he should be in the league. Yeah, he’s probably gone down a little bit in the last few years, but he definitely should have a job in the NFL with some of these other quarterbacks that are out there, no doubt about it. But I think this is a valuable lesson for him. You’re not bigger than the NFL. Certain things you really need to talk to people about before you do. This was big enough that he should have sought the advice of teammates, coaches, ownership, former players, somebody, before he did what he did. He just put himself in a position where it’s me versus the world, and sometimes you lose that battle.”
PHIL MCCONKEY
Former Giants receiver and Naval Academy grad
“I think you’re going to get diversity of opinions from military people. The majority of them will say, ‘Hey, that’s why we do it, for people to have the right to express their views freely.’ So as a military person it really didn’t offend me. But I have a dad who’s a cop, and I know how loving and compassionate my dad is. It’s a really tough situation. Me personally, all I could think about was distractions . . . I want my quarterback, especially my starting quarterback, to have every bit of his fibre into this game . . . I don’t want his mind on something that’s very controversial, that’s going to bring attention to the team, and everybody’s going to be talking about that.”
LEIGH STEINBERG
Top player agent
“As a practical matter, placing him has some difficulties. Because does he really want to start over again at a minimum salary? And the answer seems to be no . . . Doing his stance on the flag was one thing. Had he been my client I would have advised him to do that outside the stadium. There are numerous ways to express free speech, and I encourage players to express themselves. They can write an article. They can march in a rally. They can donate money. They can give interviews. Doing it in a stadium is a slippery slope to me.”