Colin Kaepernick still doesn't have a job in the NFL, and as controversial as he's been, there is a part of it that makes business sense.
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Conventional wisdom suggests that NFL owners see their team as a business, and if fans are mad at a business (which many would be if Kaepernick signed with their favorite team) they're less likely to support it. From a business perspective, this does make sense, though supporters of Kaepernick also bring up a good point that there are plenty of backup quarterbacks that Kaepernick would be a major upgrade over, even considering his decline in play.
Supporters of Kaepernick, and of the cause he's supporting by taking a knee during the National Anthem, also bring up the fact that NFL ownership has been cowardly in their aversion of Kaepernick. After all, we've seen teams happily sign players who have been accused of PED use, for example, or even domestic violence.
It's a tricky situation all around and there's likely truth on both sides. Still, it's well worth noting that people in NFL circles, and specifically scouts, are digging their heels into the fact that Kaepernick simply isn't a good quarterback.
In a recent TheMMQB.com article, Albert Greer spoke to a handful of anonymous NFL executives, and oddly, they brought up another quarterback, Robert Griffin III.
Here's an example:
"I understand the Kaepernick deal, why it's news, but nobody's talking about RG3? I know since it's Kaepernick, it's what sells, but the problem that RG3 has getting a job is the same as Kaepernick for a lot of teams."
This is somewhat of an odd comparison and it's frankly a false equivalency. Other than the fact that both players are African American and both happened to run the ball from time-to-time, their careers could not have been any more different. For all intents and purposes, RGIII has been a bust in the NFL. It can be easy to forget, but keep in mind that Kaepernick at one time led the 49ers to the Super Bowl.
Here's Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk giving his thoughts:
"Griffin had a very good rookie season in 2012 before suffering a knee injury. Kaepernick started for the 49ers in the Super Bowl that year and went back to the NFC title game the next year while Griffin's play dropped off shortly. Griffin's played 14 games the last three years as injuries and ineffectiveness led the Redskins to move on to Kirk Cousins and five starts with the Browns last year showed little sign of the player who was once the second-overall pick of the draft.
Kaepernick's play has also dropped from his early heights and being more capable than Griffin obviously shouldn't be the bar for NFL employment, but comparing the two players off of 2016 alone is enough to make one skeptical about the football-only focus of this analysis."
Kaepernick may not be a Super Bowl level quarterback anymore but are we to believe that the Jaguars wouldn't roll the dice on him if this National Anthem thing wasn't a reality? What about the Jets? They could certainly use a decent quarterback.
Ultimately, the football argument doesn't really add up. Kaepernick still has something to bring to the NFL. The NFL just doesn't want to deal with him.
