On the day that quarterbacks T.J Yates signed with Buffalo and and Matt McGloin signed with Philadelphia, two former teammates of Colin Kaepernick expressed their opinions that they thought he thought he should not still be a free agent.
There have been rumors that the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback could be preventing a deal by looking for a multi year contract, a starting position and a high price tag but none of that has been confirmed. 49ers GM John Lynch said that there was a deal very close to being done when he spoke to the media at the annual meeting at the end of March but he would not disclose which team was interested.
Another factor could be that not all 32 teams run a spread offense and are looking to sign a read option quarterback, even as a back up. Statistically Kaepernick performed similarly in 2016 to the seasons when he appeared in the NFC championship games and the Super Bowl. He threw for 2,241 yards in 12 games with 59.2% completions, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions.
When Carlos Hyde was asked if he was still surprised that Kaepernick was still a free agent he offered this opinion:
Yeah, I am surprised. I’ve seen some quarterbacks that got signed, that in my opinion, Kap is way better than, but you know, I’m not a GM, not a head coach so, that’s out of my league.
NaVorro Bowman offered similar sentiments when asked if he thought Kaepernick should be employed.
I think he should. I think he’s proven he can play at this level. He’s made a choice that had a little backlash from it but I think he will be fine. I think that someone will give him a job. You know, he’s not like a bad guy or anything so I think that’s what matters in the NFL; if you can play at this level and your character is great so, I wish him the best.
The movement that Kaepernick started by kneeling durning the National Anthem may be playing a role in his unemployment as reported through several anonymous members of front offices across the league. His announcement that he would stand in 2017 may be “too little, too late” to change those opinions but with a draft class that is lacking immediate starters, it seems like he should be a viable option. Instead, for now, he waits for an offer and continues his role as an activist.