Taking a knee can represent several things. In a marriage, one party can ask the other, “Will you marry me?”. In a football game, taking a knee during the game means that your team is ready to run out the clock and end the game. For currently unemployed NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, taking a knee to protest during the playing of national anthem prior to the start of NFL games in 2016 has meant, “I am making a political statement while on the field and working for my employer”.
As a result of his overt political comments (both on and off the field), Colin Kaepernick has gone from a quarterback struggling to keep his job as a back-up to a pariah who is as toxic to NFL owners as President Donald Trump is to many Democrats. Kaepernick created his own firestorm last season and continues to suffer from his own self-inflicted personal damage due to his controversial on-field and off-field political stances.
In 2011, Kaepernick was a 2nd round draft choice of the San Francisco 49ers. He played college quarterback for the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. He ultimately became the starting quarterback for the 49ers midway through his second season and sparked the team into the playoffs and, ultimately, to a loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the Super Bowl. After his break-out season, though, Colin Kaepernick’s on-field performance waned as the team has failed to make the playoffs in each of the subsequent seasons. When he decided to take his political stance to the field by taking a knee during the national anthem, Kaepernick’s leadership skills are being questioned even though his fourth quarter mop-up passing statistics look enticing against an opponent’s second or third string defense.
The entire Kaepernick saga has turned-off millions of NFL fans. Television ratings fell significantly last year as many fans just do not relate well to the personal political concerns of a millionaire quarterback. To the NFL’s owners, having a non-repentant Kaepernick on your team means fewer season ticket sales, merchandise sales, and supporters of your team. Why even take the risks of hiring him to be a back-up quarterback? Answer – nobody has, at least not yet.
With new injuries to quarterbacks already to start this season, the media lifts the “Kaepernick is available, so why doesn’t anyone sign him?” question nearly every day. Answer – he is bad for business until and unless he offers a complete apology for his actions last season and agrees to keep his political leanings to himself while on the field.
Otherwise, the media circus will trot his name out for currently open positions in Baltimore, Miami, and even Denver. The media (always looking to fan the flames of a good controversy for profit) will continue to beat the drum for teams to hire Kaepernick. However, the NFL owners (the people who write the gigantic paychecks for players and who also love to make profits) would rather move on from the entire Kaepernick cancer.
Once Colin Kaepernick takes his apology knee, he will likely find another job soon thereafter. Until then…???