Baker Mayfield's surprising U-turn on Colin Kaepernick kneeling stance did not go unnoticed

Baker Mayfield has had a whirlwind time in the NFL thus far. Since becoming the first overall draft pick back in 2018, the former Cleveland Browns quarterback led the franchise to their first playoff win in decades. He was traded for a player with a questionable past and currently finds himself as a backup quarterback for the Carolina Panthers. All this in the span of four years.

While the trajectory of Mayfield's NFL career remains a bit of a mystery, his future with the Browns was made agonizingly clear in the 2022 offseason. The Browns traded for Houston Texans star Deshaun Watson, signaling the end of the Mayfield era in Cleveland.

The feeling of being forced out is something that Colin Kaepernick knows all too well. The former San Francisco 49ers player last took a snap in the league back in 2017. Since then, Kaepernick has failed to find himself a team due to what many believe was him proving to be the catalyst for kneeling protests during the national anthem.

Though the quarterback has been away from the field for years, his impact is still felt to this day. The Black Lives Matter protests took place following the death of George Floyd in 2020. Baker Mayfield was among those in the NFL who said he would kneel as a sign of protest:

"I think being in my position, which is a blessing, being out on a platform to where I can speak on issues that are just wrong. Right is right and wrong is wrong. There’s a human rights issue that’s been going on for a long time, and I believe in that."

Mayfield, though, made it clear that he had nothing against those serving in the military and wasn't trying to disrespect any group in the process.

When the time came around to take a knee, Baker Mayfield seemed to have a change of heart. Taking to Twitter, he announced that he was going to stand for the national anthem after watching a video released by the Miami Dolphins that stressed upon the need for tangible changes to address the issue of police brutality:

"Watching the Dolphins' players video... it shows that it is not about who is standing or who is kneeling for the anthem. But instead, coming together and taking action to create real change."

Baker Mayfield addressed his reasoning behind his change of plans

Baker Mayfield also said that, upon further consideration, he realized that taking the knee would only lead to more problems than solutions:

"After reading many letters and messages over the past few weeks... I have been (made to realize) that a gesture such as kneeling will only create more division or discussion about the gesture, rather than be a solution towards our country's problems at hand. With that being said, I am choosing to stand for both anthems to show respect, love, and unity to everybody involved."

Baker Mayfield's decision not to kneel, of course, had its own implications. Many questioned why the quarterback committed to performing the gesture if he didn't plan on seeing it through.

With his career in jeopardy, the Panthers quarterback likely has other things on his mind at the moment. If he doesn't find his groove soon enough, he's going to find himself competing with Colin Kaepernick in the free agency market.