Is Colin Kaepernick not good enough to play in the NFL or is he being blackballed?

When Tebow was having his happy year in Denver, his QB rating was pretty much near dead last, worse than McNabb who was cut that year. There was a reason Elway got rid of him at the zenith of his popularity. Kaepernick is in the middle of the pack. Comparing those two is an insult to Kaepernick (and to every decent NFL QB in history.) If anything, they are opposites. Kaepernick is a decent QB who for reasons of politics and racism is underappreciated, Tebow was a college star who never had the right skills for the NFL who because of politics stayed around far longer than he should have.

Let's start at the beginning.

Why do you think the Niners benched him last year for Blaine Gabbert who is currently also out of a job?

I support Kaepernick's protests. I love that players all over the league are doing it. I love that it's even slowly gone into other sport. I hope it ramps up and continues for years to come.

I have ZERO issues with Kaepernick on this issue. If anything it makes me like him more.

He still stinks and deserves a backup-QB job at best.

I'm keen on Kaep, always have been but I've all along I've read re his not so good playing stuff, while enjoying his great play.

Still, this shut out aka black ball is killing me for football, plus all the other stuff.
But, I'm still here.

Kaep is no dummie. I'm quite interested in how he develops as a spokesman.

I respect your opinion.

I'm a numbers guy, not a football guy per se. I fully believe that people's perceptions are often wrong and detailed analysis is a more accurate guide. The place I see this most often is in sports where people are ready to "throw the bum out" at the drop of a hat. I grew up watching a great QB suffer year after year with a terrible line and no receivers, but it was his fault. (Luckily, his sons brought home a few Super Bowl rings for him.) I watch ESPN and see commentators (Ok, mainly Skip Bayless) make absolutely ignorant comments all the time.

The numbers for Kaepernick looks pretty good. There are a few teams that should hire him right now if they want to win games.

agree

I followed Kaep his whole career. They were the Seahawks biggest rivals for several seasons. There was no bigger fan of Kaep in the sports analysis world than Ron Jaworski.

He said Kaepernick could have been the greatest QB in history an then 2 years later has this to say about the QB "He was awful in his reads, throws, footwork and mechanics! He has the toolset, but doesn't use them!"

Kaepernick played well for one coach and then went to the toilet.

http://www.sacbee.com/sports/nfl/san-francisco-49ers/article36832293.html



It can't ever just be about the numbers. Numbers lie all the time. Plenty of losing QBs have great throwing numbers and statistics.

Because he was kneeling during the national anthem and causing problems for them.

Cycloptichorn

I don't think so. The 49ers supported him publicly all year. Donated millions to causes he championed.

He was offered to renegotiate his contract even because he was getting paid something like 14MM, but he chose to opt-out and leave the niners instead. That was reported and confirmed by Kaep.

Yes. I believe that Colin Kaepernick is being blackballed. None of the NFL teams want to deal with the controversial baggage attached to Kaepernick. It could bring distractions to any team that picks him up. If he was a great player he would have already been picked up by a team regardless of the controversial baggage. Although he is not seen as a great player, he is seen as being a good player. I believe he is good enough to start for a few teams. Especially teams like the Browns, Bears, and Bengals. The great teams and the good teams probably would not have any interest in replacing their starting quarterbacks while their teams are winning. Especially in the middle of a season.

Do you think it is collectively? Like they actually did decide this together? Or do you think that the owners kind of have the same mind set - sort of like he isn't worth the baggage?

Of course there is no way to know for sure unless you are an owner. I just cannot envision all these owners deciding this as a group meaning if they really thought he would help their team more than his baggage would hurt their team they would hire him. But weirder things have happened.

I agree with this - but should an owner hire him because he has better talent? Would you hire someone for a job which that has better talent than another potential candidate - however, this job also requires you to work as a team. This person does have better talent, but has a history of causing drama in their team. The other candidate although with less talent, is younger and has potential and is very positive in team environment. Which is better for your team overall? What is a better fit?

It is a team sport so the importance is not only hiring talent, but hiring someone that will work well with the team.

Personally this kneeling crap - is way overdone on both sides. How much does it really matter either way. Kneeling to protest to me is just stupid - it really isn't doing much and not helping anyone. And getting upset about it is just as dumb. Who cares what these athletes think? I only care to see them play.

Literally millions and millions of people, as evidenced by all the drama and the president.

These players are Americans making a small statement about a problem in our society. The question really is why all the effort to shut them up. Why do they invoke such absolute rage? My son is in his university marching band. You might remember last year some band members took a knee as well. My son's band director received death threats. Band members from another state school were beaten in the bathroom (and they weren't the ones taking a knee.) What the heck? We should all care about the effort to shut them up.

The furor they generate proves they are touching a nerve. They're doing something right.

Certain people - the average person on the street isn't getting angry or getting ready to support the other side.

The average person even if they did not support the idea of kneeling does not go out and threaten people or beat them up over. These are the crazy idiots - the average person that would not support it - the most they would do is boo the player kneeling and then get on with watching the game.

These are sports player - they are not individuals I or half way intelligent people consider somehow to look up to as far as for morality (they should be the last ones )

I don't know much about american football. But to me, the kneelers have more respect for America than the booers. The booers hate the idea that a sportman can be morally superior to them. All the booers want is some mindless game... They are booing kneelers like the crowds in ancient Rome were booing Christian martyrs in the circus: because the martyrs dared appeal to their moral conscience. Likewise, the kneelers dare call upon the spectators' humanity. This is why they are hated, I suspect.

I am sure I'm not the first to say this, but, not so long ago, players remained inside, until after the anthem. Then somebody got the bright idea to march them out to stand while mostly poor singers did the anthem. Why not just revert to the old rule?

Yes to that, engineer.