Panthers quarterback Cam Newton wanted to talk mostly about his focus on the 49ers.
But it’s the first week of the NFL regular season, and Colin Kaepernick still isn’t on a roster, so the players who are are going to be asked.
“I really think it’s unfair,” Newton said, via Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer.
Newton then ducked briefly into the obligatory comment about the importance of the upcoming regular season game, but steered back to the unfairness thing.
“In my opinion, do I think Kaepernick is better than some of these starting quarterbacks in this league? Absolutely,” he said. “Should he be on a roster in my opinion? Absolutely. There’s no question about it.
“Is he good enough to be on a roster? Is he good enough to be a starting quarterback? Absolutely.”
Of course, Kaepernick isn’t, and most active players would likely agree with that. And even if he got onto a roster now, it would be harder for him succeed having missed the entire offseason and preseason, which will only make it easier for those who insist it’s because of football to justify their hypothetical stances.