Blackballed

The topic of Colin Kaepernick still being without a job in the NFL a month before kickoff is one that has been weighing on my mind and one I've thought about writing about for awhile now, but the recent signing by the Miami Dolphins to bring in Jay Cutler, a guy who had to be talked out of retirement, was the final straw. Whether you like the guy or not, defend or oppose his decision to kneel during the national anthem, it's now become very obvious that the guy is being blackballed from the league. Need I remind you that Colin Kaepernick who never once has been arrested for anything, did absolutely nothing illegal when he peacefully protested by taking a stand against social injustices for the victims who aren't fortunate enough to have the outlet or stepping stone to do so and yet he's been treated like a felon.

Kaepernick, now at the ripe age of 29, has garnered very little interest from teams despite putting up solid numbers in 2016 and having very little to work with on an anemic 49ers offense. With a career record of 32 wins and 32 losses, including four playoffs wins and a trip to the Super Bowl in which Kaepernick was the deciding factor that helped San Francisco get over the hump and claim their first NFC Championship since a guy named Steve Young manned the position, the former quarterback out of Nevada boasts a resume that most players at the position could only dream about, including Cutler. And while Kaepernick might not be that same mysterious yet dominant quarterback that ran amok in the 2012 playoffs and put up record-setting numbers against the Green Bay Packers that still has cheese heads waking up in the middle of the night with cold sweats, the man still possesses more than enough talent to earn himself a job in the NFL, albeit as a starter or backup.

Even before Cutler and the Dolphins agreed on their one-year, $10 Million pact, Miami head coach Adam Gase considered both Tim Tebow who isn't even playing football these days and Kyle Orton who's last snap came in 2014, over Kaepernick. Two names that are rather laughable and who's success in the NFL pales in comparison to Kaepernick's. But hey, if a guy who's heart for the game has been questioned on multiple occasions walked away from the game of football to become a broadcaster, is known for being soft, has been much more injury prone, tends to rub his teammates the wrong way and throws for more interceptions is what Adam Gase and the Dolphins wanted and didn't mind overpaying for, then they definitely found their man in Cutler. I get it, the two spent time together in Chicago and Cutler, now 34-years of age, is familiar with the system in place, but if we're going off of numbers alone, those are tilted in Kaepernick's favor as well.

When comparing the production of the two quarterbacks since Kaepernick's first full year at the helm in 2013, Cutler has Kaepernick beat in passing touchdowns, 71 to 62, but he's also thrown almost twenty more interceptions than Kaepernick during that span, 46 to 27. And while Cutler has amassed more passing yards than Kaepernick, 11,151 to 10,422, Kaepernick more than makes up for it with his legs with 1,887 rushing yards compared to Cutler's 534, bringing the total to 14,196 total yards to 11,685 in favor of Kaepernick. Cutler who went 51-51 in his 8-year stint with the Bears, also has more fumbles lost (16), despite Kaepernick (13) having the ball in his hands a lot more as he's rushed for 8 touchdowns compared to only 3 from Cutler. Though Cutler narrowly edges Kaepernick in completion percentage by just over two percentage points, 61.9 to 59.8, Kaepernick's passer rating is more than three percentage points better at 88.9 to 85.7. Then again Kaepernick doesn't do himself any favors because he's got an afro. You know, because looks and hair styles matter in the NFL even if they'll be covered with a helmet, right?

Unfortunately, the Dolphins aren't the first team to scoff at the idea of bringing Kaepernick aboard and the guys those teams chose to sign instead are just as laughable. Before Ryan Tannehill suffered a knee injury in training camp which triggered Miami's need for a QB, the Baltimore Ravens had shown interest in Kaepernick for similar reasons as quarterback Joe Flacco has had to watch his team practice without him while he recovers from an ailing back. But once again, Kaepernick was passed on this time for a guy from the Arena Football League named David Olson. And then there's the Seattle Seahawks, a team that needs no introduction to Kaepernick or the tools he possesses having faced him several times while with the rival 49ers. Though Seattle would show Kaepernick the most interest of all and even flew him out to meet with the team personally, they would end up signing a guy who's thrown one fewer interception (12) than he has games played (13) in Austin Davis. What makes even less sense is their reasoning for signing Davis over Kaepernick as Seattle head coach Pete Carroll praised him by saying, "He's a starter in this league... I can't imagine that someone won't give him a chance to play." So apparently Carroll thinks Kaepernick's good enough to be a starting quarterback in the NFL but not good enough to be a backup. I think all that rain and precipitation Seattle is known for has clouded Carroll's head... And then there's teams like the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets, both of whom have been in need of a quarterback for years but for whatever reason aren't pounding on Kaepernick's door or willing to at least kick the tires on the QB who has more career playoff wins since he's been in the league than either team has appearances.

For a league that's been known to give second chances, a la Michael Vick who actually committed a crime but had little to no problem finding a job in the NFL after being released from prison for his involvement in an illegal dog fighting ring, Kaepernick's case is a little fishy and is blackballing in its purest form. Though NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and his panel of team owners will never admit it, it's very clear that they're trying to send a message to the rest of the league and its players that if you use their platform to protest, no matter if it's legal, you'll suffer the consequences whether fair or not.


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