It's nearly time for training camp to begin and Colin Kaepernick still doesn't have a job in the NFL. The reason for Kaepernick's inability to find a new team has been discussed and debated to death, but on Monday, someone else weighed in.
Former NFL quarterback Michael Vick said Kaepernick isn't unemployed because of his protests. He's unemployed because of his quality of play.
"It has nothing to do with him being blackballed," Vick told Jason Whitlock on "The Herd," via Pro Football Talk. "The gesture that he made last year when he took the stand to do what he did -- listen, we all appreciated it, we respected it, and it was a good thing. I really think the stand that he took has nothing to do with him not having a job of playing in the National Football League right now.
"And being frank, Colin didn't have the best two years his last two seasons. It wasn't as productive as what we've seen him do. And maybe it was due to coaching changes and musical chairs in the positions around him and players, but I think in terms of him getting back on the field, it's going to have to be a team that suits his skill set and what he does well: mobility inside and outside of the pocket, making plays with his feet, maybe a little bit of the wildcat -- whatever they want to call it -- mixed in, but it has to be some kind of scheme that helps Kaepernick and that team in terms of productivity. Any other type of offense I don't think will help him right now because it's going to take him so long to adjust and learn the system: protections, blitzes, what to look for, receivers. That type of camaraderie doesn't happen overnight."
No one disputes that Kaepernick hasn't played his best football in the past couple of seasons, but he's been better than most think. Last year, Kaepernick completed 59.2 percent of his passes, averaged 6.8 yards per attempt, threw 12 more touchdowns than interceptions, and generated a 90.7 passer rating. He might not be a franchise savior, but if signed, he'd immediately be one of the best backups in the league. He'd even be an upgrade over a few current starters out there like Josh McCown, Blake Bortles and Brian Hoyer. That's why it's so strange to see Kaepernick unable to land a new job.
Anyway, while he searches for his next opportunity, Kaepernick has kept busy by:
- Donating his sneaker collection to homeless people in San Francisco
- Raising money to fly food and water to the people of Somalia
- Donating $50,000 to Meals on Wheels
- Donating a hundred customs suits to charity
- Visiting Ghana
Meanwhile, Vick has some advice for Kaepernick.
"First thing we've got to get Colin to do is cut his hair," Vick said on "Speak For Yourself." "Listen, I'm not up here to try to be politically correct. Even if he puts cornrows in there, I don't think he should represent himself in that way in terms of just the hairstyle. Just go clean-cut. You know, why not? You're already dealing with a lot -- a lot of controversy surrounding this issue."
Well, that's a take.
