'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Stephen A. Smith has been emphatic in his defense of Colin Kaepernick. 2022 marks six years since the quarterback kneeled, and his career in the NFL has been null and void in that time. Speaking on First Take, Smith was definitive in his condemnation of the league's decision on the issue:
“It's been time for a team to sign Kaepernick. Years. It ain't gonna happen. You can throw all the passes you want. You can get all NFL wide receivers you want out there. It ain't gonna happen. This is what I was talking about. Colin Kaepernick was blackballed, unfairly I might add, even though blackballed in itself is being unfair."
Smith continued, saying the league's treatment of the quarterback was unfair:
"He should have been in the league years ago. He should have never been exiled from the National Football League. He never violated the NFL rules. He was free to take a knee if he so chose. He did so respectfully. He didn't impede the game in any way. He certainly exercised his right as an American citizen.
The show host went on to say that much of the military, many of whom felt offended at the act of kneeling, also had the quarterback's back:
"We all know this. And thousands upon thousands of American soldiers would vouch for Colin Kaepernick. The NFL didn't care. They sat up they said, 'We don't want to touch this man. He was going to be out of the league anyway.’ Jay Z is one of the people that were in the mix communicating with owners along with various others."
Smith went on to talk about his personal experience in what he learned in person from people in proximity to Kaepernick:
"I know that I spoke up about it publicly and privately to NFL personnel. What happens? I meet his lady. They want to try out for a team. Well, guess what? Every team was scared to touch him. Put me up on the screen. I want America to see me when I say this stuff. We said, ‘Hey, Colin Kaepernick should be playing.’"
Where would Colin Kaepernick fit if hired today?
Despite a lot of movement in the quarterback market over the last few days, several teams have a spot for a Super Bowl-featured quarterback. The Houston Texans are still quarterback-less. The Jacksonville Jaguars could use a league veteran to mentor Trevor Lawrence.
Additionally, the New York Giants are in a tough place at quarterback. All three of these teams could instantly boost their quarterback room with the addition of the quarterback. For example, the Jaguars, who brought on Tim Tebow and Urban Meyer, seem to have an appetite for getting big names with questionable ceilings.
Put simply, this is one quarterback who will not be going away any time soon, whether he gets a job or not.
