The NFL has admitted it was wrong for trying to silence peaceful protests, but for many players, including Malcolm Jenkins, that is not enough. They believe that the NFL needs to apologize specifically to Colin Kaepernick and potentially allow him to play in the league again.
If Kaepernick were to return, though, would he actually get a fair chance to play?
“It depends on the situation,” two-time Super Bowl champion and current CBS Sports NFL analyst Bryant McFadden said on Tiki & Tierney. “If he goes into a quarterback-needy room that needs quarterback help, yes, I think he would have a legit opportunity. I think he would not sign to an organization that’s already stable at the quarterback position. Ideally, he would like to go into a situation where he competes. Maybe a place like Jacksonville. Gardner Minshew played pretty good football as a rookie, clearly has one the best mustaches in the National Football League – but he’s a young player. They probably need some quality backup help behind him just in case he can’t keep that starting quarterback job, [or if they want to] make it a competition in camp.”
Minshew, 24, completed 60.6 percent of his passes for 3,271 yards, 21 touchdowns and six interceptions last season.
“So I think it depends on the situation,” McFadden continued. “I think if he goes to a place like Jacksonville – [if] you look at some of the other teams in the National Football League that could use quarterback help, there’s not a lot right now. That’s why we’re seeing guys like Cam Newton still available.”
Newton, who turned 31 in May, is younger than Kaepernick, who turns 33 in November. Newton is also a former NFL MVP. He has struggled to stay healthy in recent years, but he is eager to prove he can still play at a high level. Kaepernick, meanwhile, hasn’t played since the 2016 season.
“That’s the thing: Would a team sign or give Colin an opportunity before Cam Newton?” McFadden asked. “I don’t think so.”