Kaepernick

Kaepernick 

by Diaz Mackie

11.13.2019  Kaepernick, the name itself, polarizing. Like Batman, a symbol of justice and for others, an unpatriotic rebel rouser. If for some reason you’re unfamiliar with Colin Kaepernick, he’s a former NFL Quarterback that has been “blackballed” by the NFL. 

   In 2016, the former QB decided that he wanted to use his platform to bring awareness to the amount of minorities, primarily Black that had been unjustly executed by police. He initially chose to make his stand against this social injustice by sitting during the national anthem. Many found this to be a sign of disrespect to the country & military. Former Army Green Beret & NFL player, Nate Boyer suggested that he take a knee as opposed to simply sitting. Kaepernick took heed to the advice & knelt instead of sitting during the 2016 season. Here’s where things get interesting. 2017 Kap decides to void out his contract with the San Francisco 49ers & try his luck with free agency. Reportedly the Denver Broncos led by President and former NFL QB for the same franchise offers Kap 7 million for one year. Kap declines, thinking he could get more and a chance to start. Coming off of a few declining years in play, some teams didn’t see him as a starter and not worth the attention, or distraction to their organizations. 

   Fast forward three years, Kaepernick has since sued the NFL for colluding to keep him out. He received a settlement to the amount of 60 - 80 million dollars. However, Saturday November 16th of 2019, Kaepernick will workout for all 32 NFL teams for the first time in the last three years in Atlanta. An actual workout and interviews are to be held. Representatives from Dallas and few other teams are reported to show high interest in signing Kaepernick.

   Now the question to be asked is, why now? What has changed? Usually, an employee who uses the employer and wins, or settles, seldom returns to work for a sed employer. Some believe it’s due to the recent amount of starting QB’s that have been injured this season. Some believe it’s due to the emergence of Lamar Jackson, the walking highlight QB for the Baltimore Ravens. Others have started to give credit to Jay Z, who has been reported to have taken place in the negotiations for Kap receiving this workout. Jay Z recently agreed to partner up with the NFL. Jay Z was named head of entertainment for the NFL earlier this year and has partnered up to form “Inspire Change” in coalition with the players union. August 13th of 2019 when the deal was done and made public, when asked about Kaepernick, Jay Z replied, “At some point we have to move past kneeling & move forward...” Some thought Jay Z was acting for himself and was the NFL’s scapegoat. Others credited Jay Z for playing chess, not checkers. Then there are those that believe this is simply a ploy by the NFL to say, look we gave him a shot. It didn’t workout, now let’s move past this. The workout is scheduled on a Saturday, when most General Managers, coaches, teams are traveling for the games played on Sunday. So eyebrows are raised.

   The NFL definitely wants to place this issue behind them, for many have boycotted watching NFL games in solidarity for Kap being “blackballed” out of the league. This includes celebrities such as Rihanna who rejected performing halftime of the “Super Bowl.” She said, it just didn’t feel right with Kaepernick being “blackballed.” 

   Teams that have already committed to sending scouts in person, Dallas Cowboys as fore mentioned. The Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons, Washington Redskins, Denver Broncos, Tampa Bay Buccaneers & the Miami Dolphins. The Cowboys currently have Dak Prescott a proven starter, still in his rookie deal only making two million. The team hasn’t signed him to a new contract,  Currently, in negotiations, the QB reportedly wants $35 - 40 million per year. So maybe the franchise goes a different way if he doesn’t lead the team to a deep playoff run. The Detroit Lions currently have one of the highest-paid QBs and football players all together with his $135 million dollar contract with $27 million a year. However the team has underperformed. Maybe they’re heading in a different direction. Atlanta Falcons have former NFL MVP & “Super Bowl” QB Matt Ryan. However, he’s aging as well and is widely thought that maybe it’s time to trade him and move on. The other teams mentioned are all in desperate need of a QB. 

   The NFL has placed itself in an odd situation. The workout seems a bit suspect and as mentioned previous, the NFL would like to put this behind them but may have reopened this and placed the spotlight on the NFL. Especially if Kaepernick has a solid workout. It has been three years since his last action and skills looked like they had regressed the last time we saw him on the field. Saturday will be interesting and then everyone will be watching Kaepernick, the man who has become polarizing.