×

Is Kaepernick worth it? Yes, if you’re brave enough

Pro quarterback Colin Kaepernick is a controversial figure and that’s putting it mildly.

Last season when he decided to kneel down during the national anthem, he was taking a figurative stand against the injustice he saw toward African-Americans in this country. As soon as he started his pregame ritual, a firestorm erupted in both in traditional and social media.

Some fellow players applauded his choice and followed his example before their respective games and members of the media wrote about the courage it took to do what he did.

Others opposed what he did, with some simply suggesting that he choose another outlet to perform his protest, while a vocal minority lost their minds over it rather than look at the issue he was trying to focus on.

It was a topic that lasted the entire season and even transferred over to other sports, as Megan Rapinoe did the same protest before U.S. women’s soccer games.

It seemed as if everyone had an opinion on it, some significantly fiercer than others.

Over the course of the season, I sympathized with Kaepernick, Rapinoe and everyone else who decided to take part.

It takes a certain amount of bravery to protest that way when you know you’re going to anger a lot of people you’re trying to reach out to, and I admire that. It’s not an easy thing to do and I wish more people would be willing to do something like that even though the ramifications could be massive.

Kaepernick dealt with all of that last year, but this year’s consequences are different.

The San Francisco 49ers decided they didn’t want him anymore and he’s having trouble getting a new job. It’s not surprising because employers tend to frown on controversy or conflict unless it can benefit them in some way.

The weird thing is that it’s not just a few teams that haven’t made any offers to him, it’s all of them. There haven’t been any NFL franchises that have taken a serious look at adding Kaepernick to their roster and this is after he said that he plans on standing for the national anthem.

So if he plans on ending his protest, what is the deal with the lack of interest? Well, Kaepernick hasn’t had the best resume the last couple of years.

He had a 1-10 record last season and only completed 59.2 percent of his passes, but the Niners were atrocious last year and it wasn’t all his fault.

There’s also been questions about his arm strength and whether he can function as a drop-back quarterback. In this age of pro football, you have to be able to at least be decent in the pocket and Kaepernick isn’t.

However, he has more upsides than downsides. He’s still a mobile threat who can throw effectively on the run and can instill some fear in opposing defenses.

Also, as USA Today pointed out, Kaepernick’s passer rating (90.7) was better than several other starting QBs last season, including Philip Rivers, Eli Manning, Joe Flacco and fellow running QB Cam Newton. Yes, you read that correctly.

Kaepernick had a better year than two Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks and the 2015 MVP, and he did this for a far worse team. You’d think even the hapless Cleveland Browns, who have been looking for a good quarterback since 1999, would take a look at him, but they went with Houston Texans’ reject Brock Osweiler.

Maybe the New York Jets would take a glance, but they rolled with Josh McCown, who is somehow still in the league. Even the NFL’s most laughable teams haven’t glanced at Kaepernick and that has to sting a little bit.

Here’s what teams like Cleveland and New York are missing. Kaepernick can still play, whereas McCown is running on fumes and Osweiler has gone from potentially good to a potential “never was.”

Are Kaepernick’s stats as eye-popping as they were five years ago when he led the Niners on a monstrous comeback in the Super Bowl? No, they’re not. Is a team going to win a Super Bowl with Kaepernick as quarterback? Unless they have the defense of the 2015 Broncos or 2000 Ravens to back him up, that is very unlikely.

However, he is a solid backup who can contribute off the bench if needed and can also give you another potential weapon out of the backfield if you want to go that route.

Players are typically judged by their performances on the field and that’s the way that it should be. However, Kaepernick is a different story. If he was being evaluated on his football ability alone, the offers may have been few, but he would’ve gotten at least one by now.

I think the real reason comes down to fear. Coaches may think he’d help out the roster, but are wary of upsetting their owners. Owners may want him, but are afraid of how fans and other people might react, or that he might be a distraction to the rest of the team.

Those reasons might be justified if Kaepernick were a violent criminal like Greg Hardy or Ray Rice or if a team wanted to build their franchise around him, but neither are the case.

When you get down to it, Kaepernick is a capable quarterback who raises lots of money for charity and was just standing up (or kneeling down) for a cause that was deeply important to him.

That shouldn’t disqualify him from being on somebody’s roster and teams should look at him in a positive light more than a negative.

By picking him up, that team could declare to its fans and the rest of the league that it is a franchise that values the right to free speech and standing up for what you believe in.

Kaepernick could be a big positive to an NFL team. Which one will be brave enough to see that?

Ryan Stieg can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 252. His email address is rstieg@miningjournal.net.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today