Colin Kaepernick is back making headlines, well his lawyer is. Mark Geragos claims that two teams could possibly sign the 30 yr old free agent to their roster soon. In a recent interview with TMZ, Geragos hinted that the Raiders and Patriots were interested in signing Kaepernick. He put us through this rigamarole last year as well when he claimed that Kaepernick would be signed in 10 days which obviously never happened. I’m not sure if these are attempts to put pressure on teams to sign the embattled QB or if there is any merit to it. I guess we will just have to wait and see.
Kaepernick has been in a very public spat with the NFL since he started kneeling during the national anthem in protest of police brutality and racial injustice. The NFL and its owners have done a terrible job responding to the situation. When other players joined Kaepernick in his demonstrations, the league levied fines and dished out punishment to dissuade them from doing so. Even to the point of almost making official policy this offseason regarding what players can and cannot do during the anthem. Fortunately they were smart enough not to enact it but that decision only came after severe public backlash.
The league now finds itself embroiled in a collusion case with Kaepernick that has been in arbitration since October of last year. While Geragos’ claim of an imminent Kaepernick signing last year seemed fairly unsubstantiated, there could be something to it this time around. The NFL appears to be in full damage control mode in regards to this whole situation. Nike, who has an exclusive apparel deal with the NFL, recently made the former 49ers QB the face of their 30th anniversary “Just Do It” campaign. One can only assume that there was some type of strategic purpose behind the move as it would seemingly put the league and the sportswear giant at odds. This added with the NFL’s decision to put a hold on the anthem policy that was created this summer, it looks like Goodell wants to soften the league’s stance on this matter. Also with the collusion case progressing, there cannot be a general feeling that the NFL is going to war with players over anything that has to do with the Kaepernick ordeal.
The last piece to the puzzle is getting Kaep back on a NFL roster. It is not a coincidence that his inability to find his way back on the field runs parallel with his outspokeness regarding the social issues that people of color face in this country. Geragos has stated in the past that Kaepernick would drop his collusion case if he was able to play again. The only recourse for the NFL at this point seems to be to get Kaepernick back on someone’s roster. It’s actually an extremely small price to pay and would be an easy way to solve their problems. The original message has been diluted and now the main points of attrition surround the flag and Kaep not playing football. No anthem policy + Kaep getting signed = case closed.
It’s unfortunate that the NFL did not take this opportunity to support a worthy cause and instead chose to align themselves with those who wish to continue to act as if these issues are non-existent. But at this point, they are in a position to end this confrontation with one fell swoop. If a team does sign Kaep, the only image I would have in my head would be of Goodell waving his hand in front of our faces at a bar in Tattooine. Only the cool kids will get that. Everyone else…………….