Everyone knows about the blackballing situation facing Colin Kaepernick, one that was inflamed by the partnership Jay-Z and Roc Nation entered into with the NFL a few weeks ago.
Well Kap is back in the news again this week. First his Nike campaign won an Emmy and then a rash of injuries and poor QB play across the league flared up across the NFL (again), putting Kap’s name back in the spotlight.
According to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, Kap’s agent has placed calls to the Steelers, Jets and Saints, but nothing has transpired as of yet.
“I am being told that he has contacted – Colin Kaepernick’s agent and others – have contacted the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Smith said on First Take on Tuesday. “Essentially, they’re not interested. They’ve contacted the Jets, no word on them yet. They’ve contacted the Saints. They didn’t get their phone calls returned.”
Those three teams have lost their star QBs in Ben Roethlisberger, Sam Darnold and Drew Brees, respectively, but those teams have also moved quickly and added QBs to their teams.
The infuriating fact, though, is that they’re all not very good.
Smith went on to talk about the conversation he had with Kap’s girlfriend, Nessa, and how she said that while he would love to be a starter, he would entertain the option of being a backup QB as well.
“One of the things that Nessa Diab told me last week when she and I met, she said, ‘Colin Kaepernick trains five days a week, every day, all five days, at 5 a.m.,'” said Smith. “‘Working out a minimum of three hours a day, if not longer. He’s ready to go. He wants to be back in the NFL and it doesn’t have to be as a starting quarterback. It could be as a backup quarterback.'”
A few weeks ago, Kap took to social media to show that he was in shape and ready to play.
From putting in work predraft, to staying ready against the odds! Love to my Brother @obj – #StillReady
🎥: @REL @djtonedef @GaryNgUSC pic.twitter.com/mcSCn8vpHE
— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) September 4, 2019
Some teams are lying to themselves if they think that they’ll be better off with their replacement QBs than Kap, the Jets being one of them. Luke Falk and David Fales are far from household names who Jets fans will be booing shortly after the multiple interceptions that they will most likely be throwing until Darnold returns. And even once he returns, why not have a player like Kap, a man who’s move than proven he can play and lead.
It will be more shocking if any team signs him than if they maintain the blackballing that he’s facing. But whoever makes the call and gets Kap will be in a much better position that those who value blackballing over winning.
