'%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)
The NFL preseason is in full gear, and as has been the case since 2017, Colin Kaepernick is not on a roster. That fact would blow the mind of anyone watching the player a decade ago.
Yet, in the present, there are so many factors in play that make his absence an expected one. The problem is that there are multiple sides to the discussion. Fans may fall on different sides of the aisle when it comes to why he is not playing right now.
So who is truly to blame for Kaepernick, once again, not making an NFL return?
Colin Kaepernick is not in the NFL for one clear reason
NFL owners are why the quarterback has been kept off a roster since the 2017 season. By now, that should be a widely accepted viewpoint given just how long it has been. That, and the fact he and the league settled a collusion case way back in 2019.
Yet there are detractors who will point to the quarterback himself as to why he has been out of the NFL for so long. First, those with such a viewpoint could say his kneeling in 2016 is why he is in his current predicament. That, however, can be seen as too harsh.
Those individuals could then shift and say his play on the field led to his ouster. He went 1-11 as a starter in 2016, but did have 16 touchdowns compared to four interceptions. The San Francisco 49ers were a mess that year, leading to a regime change featuring Kyle Shanahan in charge, who decided for a fresh start at quarterback. That openness led Kaepernick to opt out of his deal and become a free agent.
The only problem with the performance argument is that Kaepernick played fine given the circumstances. Also, we see so many quarterbacks perform poorly and still have a job the next season. Even if that job is as a backup.
It is fair to note that he would likely have had a job if he was playing at an MVP level in 2016. A player like Lamar Jackson or Patrick Mahomes likely could have protested in the same way, still dealt with controversy, but kept a job moving forward. Talent usually wins out in the NFL. That is no secret.
There was just a perfect storm in place that allowed NFL owners to keep Kaepernick out of the league, and it's clear no coach or front office had a strong enough argument to bring him aboard.
If there was no kneeling, this would not even be a story. Yet political tension was high in 2016. The quarterback, unfortunately, became a scapegoat for a movement that was peaceful in nature, yet it brought negative attention upon the NFL. When a player does that, it never ends well for them.
