Colin Kaepernick has either been contacted by NFL teams or he has not. There is no in-between when it comes to that notion. Still, there seems to be a debate over just which side of this falls more in line with the truth.
Earlier today in The Cheat Sheet, I made note of the story floated out there by USA Today suggesting Kaepernick’s adviser had heard from three NFL teams. The news came as yet another quarterback was plucked out of free agency when Kaepernick’s former team signed Blaine Gabbert to a one-year deal. This once again kicked the tires on the debate bus over whether or not Kaepernick is being blackballed by the league as a result of his political stance with his national anthem protests last season.
Regardless of the reasons for why Kaepernick is still unemployed in the NFL, Kaepernick’s girlfriend, Nessa Diab, says the report about multiple teams having made contact with Kaepernick is false.
What supposed "three" teams?If this was really from his "adviser" Colin would of known about it 🤔🙄 😒 https://t.co/Pyc64B6o62
— NESSA (@nessnitty) May 12, 2017
Well, that certainly throws a curveball at the situation. Has he been contacted or not?
It is possible Kaepernick’s adviser, acclaimed sociologist Harry Edwards, is simply trying to generate buzz and interest for Kaepernick. Floating the idea that teams are indeed interested to some degree makes it look as though a player is on the radar around the league. This is a move generally engineered by agents, although these comments came from a sociologist and civil rights activist who is mentoring Kaepernick. The motives may be similar to what an agent would do for a client, but the legitimacy of such a claim is always best taken with a grain of salt, and not just because we are talking about Kaepernick.
However, it is a bit of a surprise that Kaepernick continues to be sitting idle in free agency at this point in the offseason calendar, but there are a few scenarios still in play worth considering.
All due respect to Harry Edwards, but he is not and never was a significant "adviser" to Colin Kaepernick on contract matters…
— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) May 12, 2017
First, Kaepernick may be standing firm on his stance to get an opportunity to start somewhere. The problem right now is those opportunities are scarce considering teams just drafted potential franchise quarterbacks in the last two years or have quarterbacks fixed in the offense. If Kaepernick still wants a chance to potentially start, those opportunities will be available in training camps and preseason as players get injured. But that means the wait will have to continue.
By most accounts, starting is what Kaepernick wants to do. If those offers are not out there, then Kaepernick needs to accept a reduced role (and a reduced contract) if he wants to sign just to sign somewhere. That is not always easy for some players to come to grips with, but as more time goes by, the more likely it becomes Kaepernick will eventually reach that point.
Assuming Kaepernick still wants to play, that is.
Is Kaepernick’s girlfriend doing him a favor by defending him and possible false narratives, or is she doing more harm by saying no teams have contacted him? That can be another debate by itself.
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