Is it possible that President Trump — in a case of unintended circumstance — has opened the door ajar for Colin Kaepernick to return to an NFL roster?
If Trump’s controversial rant about NFL players kneeling during the national anthem in a supposed show of disrespect to the American flag did one thing, it seemed to unify team owners and players.
Some owners — including Christopher Johnson from the Jets — stood strong on the sideline in locked arms with their players during the anthem last Sunday.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones knelt with his players before their kickoff Monday night in Arizona.
Powerful gestures all.
If we are to assume Kaepernick has been unemployed this long because of owners’ fear of public backlash, and if we are to assume last week’s show of unity with their players by the owners to be genuine, then you have to figure this chain reaction of events that began with Trump’s rant has softened some teams’ stances against signing Kaepernick.
Only time will tell.
But, since anyone who knows even a little about football knows Kaepernick is better than most of the backups and surely some current starters, they understand Kaepernick (provided he isn’t demanding unrealistic starter money) should be signed.
Kaepernick, who was one pass away from being a Super Bowl-winning quarterback and possibly even a Super Bowl MVP, has been conspicuous by his silence throughout this ordeal. But there have been reports he’s working out and wants to continue his NFL career.
Perhaps it would help his cause to be more public about his desire to play, make it clear he isn’t looking for starting quarterback money and that he’s willing, to some degree, to start over somewhere, start his career anew.
If it’s clear he wants to play and his contract demands are not unreasonable and Kaepernick is not signed by somebody, remaining mysteriously unemployed, then it’s fair to wonder whether those public acts of unity by the owners last Sunday were genuine or merely a sham-for-the-TV-cameras display to protect their brand.
Players kneeling during the anthem — which since Kaepernick began doing it I’ve believed to be an athlete’s freedom-of-speech right — has become so commonplace since this recent Trump tirade that it’s almost becoming expected.
That should soften whatever blowback a quarterback-needy team (and there are plenty of them) might have by signing him.
The irony of the whole thing is that, if Kaepernick is indeed signed, it could end up being a bizarre byproduct of this showdown Trump unwittingly ignited last week.
Talk about the law of unintended circumstances.