Sports and politics are very much entwined when it comes to Colin Kaepernick.
The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback has been out of the NFL since 2016, the year he began protesting police brutality and racial injustice in America by kneeling during the national anthem before games.
Many current NFL players still are protesting those same issues following a police officer’s murder of George Floyd. While NFL commissioner Roger Goodell recently admitted he was “wrong” for not listening to his players’ protests, he has yet to apologize to Kaepernick, who essentially remains blackballed from the league.
The NFL should apologize to Colin Kaepernick and the Patriots should sign him.
— Rep. Joe Kennedy III (@RepJoeKennedy) June 9, 2020
If the New England Patriots were to consider signing Kaepernick at any point, it would be now, as Tom Brady’s departure to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers leaves them with the underwhelming quarterback duo of Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer.
Even if the Patriots believe Stidham is their QB of the future, he might endure some growing pains in his second NFL season. And while Hoyer is familiar with the Patriots’ offense, he also has lost 13 consecutive starts dating to 2016.
So, it’s safe to say New England could use more talent in its QB room, and Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported Wednesday that Kaepernick is in “great shape” and is “more motivated to play than ever.”
All of that said, it seems unlikely the Patriots would sign the 32-year-old after passing on other available veteran QBs like Cam Newton and Andy Dalton. With Brady no longer in New England, though, expect the Kaepernick chatter to continue as long as he remains unsigned.
