Kaepernick can afford to call the shots
Midway through Colin Kaepernick’s controversial public workout, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback took a snap from an imaginary centre, pantomimed a handoff to his left, then rolled out to his right like he would if he were in a real game, looking to mount an attack from the perimeter.
Without breaking stride, he unleashed a fastball that landed on time and on target in the hands of a receiver, who snagged it 15 yards downfield before stepping out of bounds.
For people wondering whether Kaepernick, out of an NFL job since the end of the 2016 season, still wants to play football, that pass and dozens of others like it — delivered with NFL-level precision and velocity — provided proof. Passes like that aren’t an accident, even if Kaepernick showed them off at his own workout in suburban Atlanta and not the showcase the NFL organized for him. They’re the outcome of hours of preparation, undertaken by a player who, though now better known as a social activist, remains committed to keeping his skills NFL-sharp.
The problem for the NFL and some prominent members of the sports unliterary is that Kaepernick doesn’t need to play in the league.
He doesn’t need the notoriety. His Amnesty International award and renewed Nike deal all happened during his NFL exile, and the media coverage his public workout drew proves he’s plenty famous as a free agent.
And he doesn’t need the money. Nike pays him, as do his speaking engagements.
And so he didn’t need to sign the NFL’s last-minute waiver promising he’d never sue the league again, and certainly didn’t need to comply with the league’s demand to be the exclusive recorder, editor and distributor of workout footage.
None of those details hint that Kaepernick doesn’t still want to compete against the world’s best football players. They just signal that he’s an opponent for which the NFL has no game plan: A worldclass player it can’t control with the prospect of a payday.
Kaepernick’s stance and position are unique, even when you factor out his pro-Black politics.
The NFL is the chief beneficiary of a U.S. sports culture that teaches promising athletes to prioritize the gridiron. So when Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray paid back a $4.7-million (U.S.) signing bonus from the Oakland A’s to free himself to pursue an NFL career, it seemed sort of normal. But when youngish players such as Andrew Luck retire over something besides a single debilitating injury, the predominant reaction is shock, as if an early exit from a dangerous sport isn’t a sensible move for players who can afford it.
Kaepernick, when viewed through this football-first prism, comes across as too self-absorbed to appreciate the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity the NFL furnished him by setting up last Saturday’s workout. Another NFL hopeful in Kaepernick’s position — 32 years old and three seasons removed from game action — might have complied, hoping to get chosen by one of its 32 teams.
But several sets of numbers tell you Kaepernick’s not a normal free agent.
In 2016, we watched Kaepernick lead the pre-game protests against racism that made him the league’s most divisive figure, but we also saw him throw 16 touchdown passes against just four interceptions. Nobody involved has to guess whether Kaepernick can perform at the NFL’s most critical position. He has a fiveyear on-field resumé, and his most recent season was also his most efficient. Under normal circumstances, that track record would afford him plenty of leverage.
But nothing about this situation is normal. Hasn’t been since 2016, when Kaepernick’s activism against racialized police brutality forced systemic racism into the spotlight during NFL games. And his emergence as an advocate for Black Americans’ rights preceded a sudden, league-wide loss of interest in his skills as a quarterback. Kaepernick languished in free agency, even as borderline performers such as Nathan Peterman received new chances after flunking out of old ones.
The situation prompted Kaepernick’s collusion suit against the NFL, which the league settled out of court last February, but which didn’t preclude more legal action.
Viewed through the prism of Kaepernick’s three-year odyssey, the NFL’s quickly organized audition and its long list of conditions look like a scheme to force the quarterback into submission. To give up access to the very workout footage that could help earn him a contract offer. And to surrender his right to sue again if he suspects the league and its teams aren’t dealing with him in good faith.
Another set of numbers helps us understand why Kaepernick felt so comfortable upending the NFL’s plans. We don’t know how much the NFL spent to settle the collusion suit — published reports put the figure well below $10 million — but we know he got paid. And according to Celebrity Speakers Bureau, Kaepernick earns between $50,000 and $100,000 for speaking engagements. It’s not starting NFL quarterback money, but Kaepernick could average one speech a month and live comfortably.
He can also afford to train full-time — three hours a day, five days a week, according to a video he posted to Instagram. So when the NFL calls and offers him an audition on 48 hours’ notice, Kaepernick can fire pinpoint passes on demand because he’s been preparing like a guy who wants to return to the league.
But if he doesn’t like the stipulations tied to his tryout, he can reject the whole process and audition on his own terms because he doesn’t need any NFL team’s money.
Doesn’t mean Kaepernick lacks desire. Just means he has options.