Kaep-ing the Peace

There has been a massive controversy in the NFL about kneeling to protest police brutality and other racial issues. Many athletes, like Seattle Seahawks Richard Sherman and Michael Bennett, Denver Broncos Middle Linebacker Brandon Marshall, and Philadelphia Eagles Safety Malcolm Jenkins. However, this is not about them. This is about the one who started this movement- former San Francisco 49ers Quarterback Colin Kaepernick. He began this protest during the preseason of the 2016–2017 NFL Season. It immediately sparked a nationwide argument over his right to protest in this manner. Kaepernick’s opted out of his contrast at the end of that season and was not signed by any team during the free agency period. Supporters of Colin Kaepernick believe that NFL was “blackballing” the former football phenom. There is evidence that he could have been blackballed, and other evidence that says he wasn’t.
As a result of the nationwide movement Kaepernick started before the 2016 Season began, all eyes were on him and his play. Unfortunately for those eyes, his play was abysmal. He initially lost the starting job to Blaine Gabbert, the former 10th Overall Pick in the 2011 Draft who is widely considered a bust. After a 1–4 start to the season, Head Coach Chip Kelly decided to start Kaepernick. He then proceeded to go 1–10 and lead the 49ers to the second worst record in the NFL behind the Cleveland Browns, the long time laughingstock of the NFL. His performance in the season was pitiful, the beginning the end of the Kaepernick era in the Bay Area. These are Kaepernick’s Stats from the 2014 Season through the 2016 Season:

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As you can see, after the teams run to the NFC Championship Game during the 2013 Season, his performance began to drop. While he has led his team to two NFC Championships in 2012 and 2013, as well as an appearance in Super Bowl XLVII, the negative media attention he brings a franchise is not worth it for a backup caliber player.
Certain events, however, do look like league wide Blackballing. Kaepernick was not signed by any of the 32 teams in the NFL. Many of these teams — like the New England Patriots, Oakland Raiders, and Dallas Cowboys — are set at the Quarterback position. Among the ones who aren’t, however, questionable moves were made by General Managers. Let us start with the Browns. The Browns decided to get Brock Osweiler from the Houston Texans, absorbing a massive $72 Million Contract, who was run out of Houston for abysmal play like this against the Denver Broncos (my personal favorite team) on a Monday Night Game:

He is still being paid $16 Million a year. Meanwhile Brock’s old team, the Houston Texans, actively fought to get former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo before he decided to join CBS Sports in the press box. They then traded up to select Clemson Tiger Deshaun Watson in the draft. The worst moves were arguably made by the Chicago Bears. They threw $18.5 Million at former Tampa Bay Buccaneers Quarterback Mike Glennon during free agency, then Traded up to select University of North Carolina QB Mitchell Trubisky with the 2nd Overall Pick. The list of other quarterbacks signed during the free agency period include names like Austin Davis, Josh McCown, Geno Smith, and Brian Hoyer. The Dolphins even signed Jay Cutler — who decided to retire — before they considered Colin Kaepernick.
One can say what they wish about the situation at hand, but there are more than one side to this story.
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