Colin Kaepernick last played in the NFL during the 2016 season with the San Francisco 49ers, and the results weren’t good. The former quarterback and full-time activist posted one win versus ten losses in eleven starts. He subsequently turned down a contract extension from the team and has been out of the league since. Many assumed he was blackballed from the NFL for his on-the-field shenanigans and his bombast off the field. However, those same people ignored the fact that his skill set was quickly eroding, and NFL defensive coordinators had figured out how to stop him.
Kaepernick was a runner first and a terribly inaccurate passer second. As is usually the case, when defenses figure out running quarterbacks, they lose their effectiveness in short order. Despite the decline on the field and the fact that he turned down a contract from San Francisco, the liberal media and leftists claimed racism as the reason for the former quarterback’s unemployment. Considering the baggage the player brought with him and the declining skills, it is no wonder no team wanted his particular set of issues on their sideline or in their locker room.
Kaepernick famously knelt to protest perceived social injustice in America but also wore socks portraying police as pigs, called for the abolishment of police and prisons, and likened the NFL Draft to a slave auction. After accusing the league of blackballing him and subsequently getting a settlement, the former quarterback also had two tryouts for scouts that went so poorly even quarterback-needy teams politely passed.
Considering Kaepernick was offered contracts from the Canadian Football League and the Alliance of American Football but chose to ignore both rather than prove he could still play, it was clear that he was interested more in stirring the pot than playing football. As recently as this season, Kaepernick rumors were still floating regarding a return to the field.
Recently, the NFL added a former coach back to the sidelines, and the Kaepernick rumors have gained new traction. Kaepernick’s former head coach in San Francisco, Jim Harbaugh, was hired by the Los Angeles Chargers, and while Harbaugh has mentioned nothing about adding the former signal caller, NFL insider Mike Florio floated the possibility of Harbaugh adding the erstwhile quarterback as a coach.
Just the idea sparked outrage from a Charger legend. Former star linebacker Shawne Merriman spoke out against adding the activist to the team’s sideline. He said: “Absolutely not. And I think it would be a horrible decision. You got a lot of people out there putting in the time, putting in the effort, and is waiting in line for those jobs and more qualified for those jobs.” Merriman correctly pointed out the long line of assistants putting in the work for a shot.
The Charger legend continued: “And to jump over everybody else who spent their time, energy, still in line and work their way up, would just be a slap in the face to everyone that’s been committed to raising the bar.” While it is unlikely Harbaugh would cause such controversy as he attempts to take a talented roster and right the ship, the two have a connection. In 2020, Harbaugh said it was “absurd” that Kaepernick was unemployed and said: “I love Colin, did then, do now, always will. I hope he gets a shot. I hope that he has a chance to play again and that he does play. Just my personal view on it.”
Considering the activist quarterback said earlier this year he saw no “substantial change” in the NFL in terms of addressing alleged social injustice, it is questionable as to why he would want to work for a league that he compared to a slave/owner relationship. Or perhaps he is one of the greatest grifters in history. Either way, if Jim Harbaugh adds the former quarterback as a coach, the media circus will overshadow anything the team does on the field.
Featured image: Sanders175, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
