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Colin Kaepernick has now been out of the NFL for six years and doesn't look to be coming back anytime soon. If we consider that period as his official retirement date, then we could start considering him for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The official time requirement is at least five years of retirement. If we consider the possibility, how do his stats look compared to others and does he make the cut?
Looking at his career in numbers, it is hard to make a case. All other quarterbacks on the list have a winning regular or playoff record, which Colin Kaepernick does not have. His record is 28-30. His completion is 59.8 percent, which is considered low in the modern era.
The maximum passing touchdowns he has ever thrown in a season is 21. In 2014, he had more than 3,300 yards in passing, which was his most productive season. But he also threw only 19 touchdowns and 10 receptions. He has never won a Super Bowl or been named the league MVP.
Based on just the numbers above, it is very tough to consider him as a Hall of Fame quarterback. However, there are other considerations beyond that.
Colin Kaepernick's other contributions to football could make him a Hall of Famer
To become a Hall of Famer, beyond playing statistics, selectors are supposed to look at detailed biographies. While Colin Kaepernick might not boast the best numbers, he certainly does have a stellar biography.
To jog memories, he decided to first sit for and then kneel during the national anthem to protest against police brutality and racial inequality. He was roundly ostracized, and the NFL's settlement with him at least partially implies that his actions might be the reason that he was blackballed from the NFL. While not the most productive quarterback in the league, Kaepernick certainly wasn't the worst, however, he was unable to find a new team.
Since George Floyd's murder, there has been a re-evaluation of how the league values Colin Kaepernick. That particular instance forced America to reckon with their racial bias in policing. That also forced the NFL commissioner to come out and support Black Lives Matter. It was a recognition of what the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback was trying to say through his protest.
Today, on helmets and in endzones, we often see words like "End Racism" or "It takes all of us" to increase awareness for the social justice cause. That the NFL took this stance is hugely due to Kaepernick's influence. Without him, there is a case to be made that the league would never have changed its stance as drastically as it did.
Kaepernick did not revolutionize the quarterback position like Peyton Manning did with his audibles or Sammy Baugh did with his dropbacks. He may not have won as much as Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw or Otto Graham. But what Colin Kaepernick did was force the spotlight on the league in a way that made them responsive to change.
In some ways, he revolutionized the league. If indeed his entire biography is considered, one could make a case for inclusion in the Hall of Fame. However, based on numbers alone, Kaepernick doesn't have a chance.
