There has been little chatter on the Colin Kaepernick front this offseason in terms of what he specifically wants out of a contract. Sure, we’ve had plenty of discussion about whether or not he is being purposely spurned because of his protest, but other than John Lynch’s comment about hearing a deal had been close somewhere, we have heard nothing.
As the NFL owners’ meetings get started, ESPN’s Dan Graziano is reporting some pertinent new details. He wrote about how black-balling is the wrong term to use given the fact that not all 32 teams need a quarterback, and there isn’t necessarily a league-wide conspiracy. He pointed more specifically to, “an unfortunate collision of circumstance and prejudice in one or two specific cases.” I don’t know if “unfortunate” sufficiently describes some of the prejudice involved, but it’s something.
Graziano said, “there are only a half-dozen that could offer Kaepernick what he wants.” We have not heard what exactly that is, and have been left to assumptions based on his opt out from his contract with the San Francisco 49ers. Of course, the 49ers have since indicated they would have cut him had he not opted out, so make of that what you will.
But Graziano has “multiple sources” that provided details on what Kaepernick might specifically be looking for as a quarterback:
Further, we know from multiple sources that Kaepernick isn't just looking for any job. Two people to whom I spoke last week say he's looking for a place that offers him a chance to compete for a starting job and a salary befitting a high-end backup quarterback or a low-end starter. Think something like $9 million to $10 million.
There were two articles that offered up non-football reasons why the New York Jets and Houston Texans would be unlikely to consider Kaepernick. The Graziano article pointed to Jets owner Woody Johnson, a notable contributor to the Republican party and Donald Trump’s nominee for Ambassador to Great Britain.
In his Monday Morning Quarterback column, Peter King suggested it was unlikely Bob McNair would sign off on adding Kaepernick. He pointed to McNair’s status as a big Republican donor, and having George H.W. Bush in his suite fairly regularly. King did not say McNair told him he would not allow a Kaepernick signing, but it sounds like a pretty specific reading of the tea leaves.
Whatever the case, this is the first specific mention of potential salary and type of job Kaepernick is looking for. We don’t know if these sources are close to the team, league, agent, or player, but it’s a little bit more to consider as we move closer to the start of offseason workout programs.