Colin Kaepernick has signaled his availability to return to the National Football League (NFL) after he had to sit out the season, following his decision to protest gun violence against African Americans, and incurring the wrath of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Kaepernick participated in a try out on Saturday at a high school in Atlanta, signaling his availability to return to active play, even though there have been rumors that NFL franchise bosses have conspired to keep him unemployed.
Kaepernick did what a great quarterback would do – he got the ball back in the NFL top-men’s field:
“So, we are waiting for the 32 owners, 32 teams and Roger Goodell to stop running. Stop running from the truth, stop running from the people.”
The decision to move the work-out session from the Atlanta Falcons training facility to the high school was done so that media could attend, the athlete himself explained. Onlookers cheered as Kaepernick kept throwing.
Later, ESPN commented that the player’s throwing ability remained ‘elite’ and on a level that any NFL team could benefit from. On Twitter, people said that even if Kaepernick didn’t make it into the main squad of a team, he then should at absolute minimum be kept as perhaps the best bench player any franchise would have. One user went on to share his impressions of the athlete:
“So far, Kaepernick looks like Kaepernick. Outstanding velocity, everything on a rope, can make any throw. Questions teams will have about different arcs and speeds, performance when hurried, and progression-reading — the questions I’d have – can’t really be answered here.”
The NFL Upset
Kaepernick did leave a very narrow window of opportunity for the NFL to respond, letting management know about his decision only 30 minutes before the actual try out. Responding to the athlete’s behavior, NFL officials said that cooperating with Kaepernick has proven difficult.
However, the league said that the athlete’s status remained the same and he would be eligible to sign with any team that wants him. He is currently an agent. Some 25 representative of NFL teams were scheduled to attend the Atlanta Falcons venue – a handful made it to the new venue after the abrupt change.
Kaepernick has been a thorn in the side of the NFL since 2016 when he started kneeling during the national anthem in a form of protest. He was criticized by fans, republicans and as already mentioned – the president.
Many of the NFL bosses who are close to the Republican Party expressed criticism of the player, harping on patriotism. Kaepernick became a free agent that same year and has been unsigned since.
He had a falling out with rapper Jay-Z after the latter chose to support the NFL and did a literal U-Turn from criticizing the league for it had treated Kaepernick to signing a lucrative partnership.
The NFL also sought to get Jay-Z on board to appear more diverse and fairer and thus rob Kaepernick of bargaining chips. Nevertheless, the athlete has been as defiant and as jovial as ever.
He deserves to be back.
