As we approach week eight in the NFL, there are still two teams that haven’t won a game yet – the Miami Dolphins and the Cincinnati Bengals. Not to mention that there are still three single-win teams – the New York Jets, the Washington Redskins, and the Atlanta Falcons.
Now some could argue that these winless or single-win teams are tanking for draft picks or that the Bengals have a new coach or even Jay Gruden getting fired, but these are all excuses. Andy Dalton hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass for two games out of this seasons already and he already has five interceptions on the year. It is a circus in Miami to try to figure out who to put in at QB – Fitzpatrick or Rosen, it’s like a grab bag of mediocrity.
The New York Jets have already gone threw three QB’s this season after starter Sam Darnold’s diagnosis with mononucleosis and Trevor Siemian’s injury, they had to resort to third string, Luke Falk. Wait, who is Luke Falk? The Redskins have also experienced a quarterback carousel this year with all three of their starting quarterbacks totaling only nine touchdowns on the year to a hefty eight interceptions.
Matt Ryan has been unpredictable this year, he is putting up good number for passing yards, but he can’t capitalize on them all the time. Ryan has seven interceptions on the year, five of them coming in the first two weeks of the season. Now that we have examined the mediocrity of the NFL’s quarterback this season thus far, why aren’t we bringing up a certain former QB’s name?
Yes, I am talking about the infamous Colin Kaepernick. Now let’s look as his stats from the NFL career compared to the lackluster QB play in the NFL this year. Kaepernick finished his NFL career with 72 touchdowns to just 30 interceptions, 12,271 passing yards, 13 rushing touchdowns, and 2,300 rushing yards.
Not to mention, he has a 4-2 playoff record, one Super Bowl appearance, and 2 NFC Championship appearances. To say that he is not qualified or talented enough to play in the NFL again is travesty. In fact, he could be a saving grace for one of the winless or single-win teams in the NFL this season.
Clearly his football skills are not the problem, but his political agenda is what is stopping these struggling franchises from picking him up as their QB. Kaepernick didn’t stand for the national anthem during a 2016 preseason game against the Green Bay Packers and his career was on a downward spiral since then.
After that game, Kapernick said in a press conference that, “I am not looking for approval. I have to stand up for people that are oppressed.” An African American man standing up for his rights in 2016 shouldn’t be the most bizarre thing in the world.
Kapernick was not standing up for the anthem because of inequality and police brutality in the United States. There are literally police officers killing innocent people like Eric Garner in New York. Not to mention several other hate crimes against minorities such as Trayvon Martin, Sam Dubois, and most recently Botham Jean in Dallas.
Kapernick is just standing up for his rights and the rights of minorities. I mean the First Amendment does say that as American citizens we have the right to freedom of speech, but not if you are Colin Kapernick.
He is being blacklisted by the NFL because he is exercising his rights, doesn’t this sound messed up? Kaepernick is a minority with money and power and a platform as an NFL player that could really be sued to help other minorities and to change the world. If Peyton Manning or Tom Brady kneeled for the anthem, would they be treated differently than Kaepernick? Probably.
Over the last few years there has been speculation and rumors that Kaepernick has gotten offers from NFL teams, but last week Kaepernick’s representatives released a statement addressing all these rumors.
Basically, the report says that he has never workouted for an NFL team since his departure from the league in 2017 and that he has had not one single offer from a team. His representatives said they have reached out to all 32 teams with little to no response.
For those that question if he still wants to play in the league, the report states that yes he still does and that he still works out five days a week hoping for an offer. Also, he is very much still eligible to play in the NFL even with the grievance he field against the league.
There is nothing that affects his eligibility to play in the league, but NFL teams own personal qualms about him. He has proven himself worthy of being a starting quarterback in the league, just look at his stats. Just because he is using his platform as a professional athlete to help others and stand for what he believes in shouldn’t write him off for playing in the NFL.
NFL teams are just using the kneeling narrative as an excuse to not pick up Kaepernick, but they so willing make excuses for bad quarterback play or poor head coaching. Even if the NFL doesn’t agree with his political views or protests, they need to understand that he is eligible and worthy enough to play in their league. Not all of a company’s employees share the same beliefs, but that doesn’t stop them from coexisting in the workplace together. Would your workplace not hire you because you are a Democrat or because you are pro-life? Probably not, so why can the NFL get away with this? Something has to give.
BELLE OF THE (FOOT)BALL 