LeSean McCoy: Colin Kaepernick situation has something to do with protest, a lot to do with his play

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Bills running back LeSean McCoy thinks Colin Kaepernick‘s current unemployment is more nuanced than either that he’s being blackballed, or that he’s not good enough.

McCoy says teams may not like Kaepernick because of his national anthem protest, but McCoy believes a bigger issue is that teams don’t think Kaepernick is a good enough quarterback to be worth bringing a distraction to the team.

“That may have something to do with but I think it also has a lot to do with his play,” McCoy said. “I’m sure a lot of teams wouldn’t want him as their starting quarterback. Then it’s the chaos that comes with it. It’s a lot. A team’s trying to win and not have a distraction on a team. As a player, there’s certain players that can be on a team with big distractions, and other players, they’re not good enough that it’s worth it. I think his situation is, not good enough to have on a team with all the attention that comes along with it. I’m sure if a guy like [Tom] Brady or a guy like — whoever is your favorite player, Odell Beckham or a guy like that — you’ll deal with that attention and play him. With certain guys, it’s not worth it.”

McCoy seems to think a lot of the commentary surrounding Kaepernick has come from people whose opinions aren’t worth much.

“I think the whole Kaepernick situation, in this country you can believe what you want, freedom of speech,” McCoy said. “I think maybe they could choose a better platform to state their beliefs. One thing I’ve learned about is that people in America, they’re followers. There’s some people that if you ask about these topics, they’ll say what they heard, not what they know.”

As the NFL faces increased criticism for Kaepernick’s continued unemployment, McCoy doesn’t sound particularly concerned.

134 responses to “LeSean McCoy: Colin Kaepernick situation has something to do with protest, a lot to do with his play

  1. Once again for the slow people out there.

    IF he was good he would be on a team PERIOD!

    There is way to much money in winning football games to not let a GOOD player play.

    Nobody wants the circus that comes with this guy and he is at best a backup QB!

    Plus he was asking for 9+ mill a year!!! you morons are out protesting for a guy who is demanding millions of dollars to play a game! wake up people!

  2. WOW! He’s pretty much right. Been saying the same thing as pretty much 95 percent of the people who also comment here. No one wants to deal with him or his girlfriend. The people protesting should really do some research and see the NFL has a habit of if a guy is good enough, they’ll let anything go. average talent to below, no so much.

  3. “One thing I’ve learned about is that people in America, they’re followers. There’s some people that if you ask about these topics, they’ll say what they heard, not what they know.”

    McCoy has also been a distraction to his teams in the past, but he hit the nail on the head with this quote above. Social media, the internet and the media in general are the majority of the problem in that quote. I have seen so many people jump on a bandwagon just because they saw one side of the story and went by what they heard. Some people don’t want to take the time to do their own research on a topic before they spout off on social media about it and form a belief about it.

  4. The NFL has a big problem on their hands with all these protests. Im sure sponsors will love paying for something the public is upset about. When sponsors start pulling out, the NFL will listen. I cant act out and do or say whatever i want at work..why is working for the NFL any different?

  5. He just isn’t good enough to be a starter, definitely a backup but this is more to do with the backlash an owner would have to deal with from the fan base. He is being blackballed, plain and simple or maybe whiteballed in this case

  6. Shady is about to get 300 phone calls telling him why he’s wrong and what he should think and how he’s hurting the cause.

    Then comes the retraction and clarification on his comments in 3, 2, 1….

  7. LeSean you have summed it up perfectly, if Kaepernick was a better player he would be worth the distraction that he will bring to a team. Not too many teams if any are going to want the media circus that is sure to follow ” a back up quarterback at best”. If he had the talent of Brady or Beckham he would of already been signed, and his girlfriend needs to slow down on social media or she will be labeled the next Miko Grimes…

  8. That’s his opinion. Doesnt make him right. I agree that people are followers. When has Kaep came out stated he wanted 9 million dollars? He is alot better than these bum backups and some starters I have seen in preseason. Please lets kill all this “distraction” nonsense. Vick was a shell of himself and was still afforded the opportunity to COMPETE which should be the same for Kaep.

  9. Whether or not you think he is a starter, a guy who can complete almost 60% of his passes, throw 3 TD’s for every pick, and has starter experience should be one of the two or three most desirable backups in the league.

  10. this is 100% truth…

    People want to point to the protests and rationaize that as the reason, the bottom line is, he’s just not that good, and hasnt been since the Harbaugh/SF split.

  11. deangelo1776 says:
    August 24, 2017 at 2:00 pm
    Kaepnernick is better than almost all of the backups in the league.
    ——————-

    The operative word being backups. If he were a top 15 QB he’d have a job because the juice would be worth the squeeze. Business is business though and why risk antagonizing your fan base for a backup?

  12. Also, something to do with his position. If Tebow was a FB, he’d have a job in the NFL. Tough to have a controversial guy these days at the QB position. Too key to leadership, and media coverage.

  13. biggest problem with Kaepernick is he protests like he practices – half-ass- so he’s never going to be more than subpar at either one.

  14. This is what a lot of posters on this board have been saying for a long time. Nice to see a player that understands what is really going on and stood up and said it.

  15. The same people complaining it should be about football, are hypocrites. Isn’t him kneeling about something else outside of football, which most people are grilling him for and why he shouldn’t have a job. If it were about football only, then criminals should be allowed to play. Thumbs down if you agree!

  16. Protests aside, I’d have thought Kaep would make an ok-enough backup for the Seahawks’ Wilson setup – but I guess the biggest reason they don’t want Kaep is because among coaches (not least in Seattle and San Fran) scrambling appears to have gone back out of fashion these past few years and Kaep didn’t seem to transition into a traditional pocket guy too well despite Kurt Warner’s guru-ship.

  17. Everyone has the right to freedom of speech McCoy huh??…….then how come everytime a Republican or white supremacist group wants to hold a speech, the Liberals and Democrats get violent and protest it???…….I don’t approve of any race of people promoting hatred like the White supremacists are, but they have the right to freedom of speech don’t they???.

  18. What is the over/under on how long it takes before Kaepernick’s Communist girlfriend unleashes a vicious rant against McCoy on Instagram?

  19. Just like other players that have caused distractions for other reasons like Tebow, T.O., Ocho Cinco, etc. Once a player does not have the requisite talent to make it worth the distraction they are gone.

    Players like Jerry Rice, who was a leader through to the end of his career, was still a valuable part of Oakland despite reduced talent.

    It has nothing to do with the cause of the distraction. Tebow may have been given a chance to develop as a back up somewhere and continue to be used as a wildcat QB or a fullback but it wasn’t worth it for any team that brought him in.

  20. The league is egalitarian.. giving questionable players who are perceived as potentially useful repeat chances. Several of the players who took knees, including Kenny Stills got resigned and paid. If the perception that Kaepernick could deliver sufficient results to compensate for the distractions, he’d likely have been signed by this point.

    However, another thing to consider that’s not very PC is that the league and individual teams allocate a bunch of $$$ for investigative services. It’s possible that in trying to vet him, they determined there’s more to Kaep’s “activism” than meets the eye. And that includes rumors of possible affiliations and ties of his influential GF who already has helped make him more of a pariah by calling Ray Lewis an Uncle Tom and Steve Bisciotti a racist.

    IMO, there’s probably more to this than meets the eye.

    Who needs that aggravation, especially if there’s more negative disclosures that could break while he’s on the roster?

  21. Great response shady. I agree 100%to the backlash commenters, don’t hate the player, hate the game!

  22. Finally! Someone who gets it AND is honest.

    Fact 1: Kaepernick slacked off (documented) and was benched.
    Fact 2: Only then did the immature Kaepernick make it about him, the phony he is.
    Fact 3: Yes, his selfishness and delusion, thinking sitting down for 90 seconds during the anthem will make him some kind of martyr of change, is why teams don’t want to deal with him.
    Fact 4: Teams have to open up or create a whole portion of a playbook for him.

    This latter fact is the biggest reason of them all.

  23. deangelo1776 says:
    August 24, 2017 at 2:00 pm
    Kaepnernick is better than almost all of the backups in the league.
    ————————————————
    But no team in the league is going to run the risk of alienating their fanbase for a backup.

  24. 16 TD’s to 4 INT (that’s 4:1, not 3:1). 60% passing, and another 40 yards/game on the ground. Not to mention the motley crew of receivers that he was throwing to last year also had a really high dropped pass rate.

    His QBR is higher than: Tannehill, Newton, Wentz, Manning, Bortles (in that order). They all played complete seasons.

    These quotes are also coming from the guy who claimed that Chip Kelly was racist. He might be right on both fronts, but he’s playing in Buffalo and clearly has a chip on his shoulder.

  25. “There’s some people that if you ask about these topics, they’ll say what they heard, not what they know.”

    That’s actually a very true and perceptive statement. If only more people recognized what my 1st round pick has noticed.

  26. then how come everytime a Republican or white supremacist group wants to hold a speech, the Liberals and Democrats get violent and protest it???
    ——
    Isn’t their protest also freedom of speech? Violence isn’t acceptable on either side but don’t forget it wasn’t a democrat that did the running down in VA.

  27. Look, you want to know how good Kaepernick really is? He lost his job to Blaine Gabbert.

    To give you an update on Gabbert, he is going to be out of the league by the start of the season because he couldnt beat out Drew Stanton for the #2 job in Arizona.

    So in hindsight, the man that was good enough to put Kapernick on the bench, is about to be not good enough to be in the league. That alone should tell you whether Kapernik should be in the league or not.

  28. godfatherd says:
    August 24, 2017 at 2:07 pm
    Whether or not you think he is a starter, a guy who can complete almost 60% of his passes, throw 3 TD’s for every pick, and has starter experience should be one of the two or three most desirable backups in the league.

    —————

    Problem is the amount of $ he wants as a backup and the media attention that comes with it. If he were will to sign for backup money and there wasn’t a media circus around him he would have a job…Also, you know, don’t opt out of your contract…

  29. McCoy is a great back. He’s fast and powerful. I still can’t believe the Eagles traded him for so little to the Bills. It’s usually the Bills who get fleeced in deals. In any case, he’s right. ESPN is the perfect place for Kaepernick to work since sports is also secondary to them.

  30. OMG I LOVE IT. FINALLY SOMEONE IN THE NFL SAYS IT. Kap just isn’t good enough and to have the team and fans deal with the circus that comes with him is even more of a turn off. All those Kap supporters that are always crying racism and Mr. Bennett asking for white players to step up should take a second and listen to what Shady has to say on this topic.

  31. bass1717 says:
    August 24, 2017 at 2:20 pm
    Everyone has the right to freedom of speech McCoy huh??…….then how come everytime a Republican or white supremacist group wants to hold a speech, the Liberals and Democrats get violent and protest it???…….I don’t approve of any race of people promoting hatred like the White supremacists are, but they have the right to freedom of speech don’t they???.

    —————

    Free speech still has limitations related to fighting words. If the speech is deemed to specifically incite violence it is not protected by the first amendment.

    “There are certain well-defined and narrowly limited classes of speech, the prevention and punishment of which have never been thought to raise any constitutional problem. These include the lewd and obscene, the profane, the libelous, and the insulting or “fighting words” those that by their very utterance inflict injury or tend to incite an immediate breach of the peace. It has been well observed that such utterances are no essential part of any exposition of ideas, and are of such slight social value as a step to truth that any benefit that may be derived from them is clearly outweighed by the social interest in order and morality.”

  32. You can say it’s about “his play” all you want, but as long as real actual NFL teams are fielding QB’s who’ve played FAR worse than this guy in recent seasons, that’s simply not true.

    And if you’re upset that he kneels during the Anthem and that’s somehow “Disrespectful”, you’ve apparently NEVER been to an actual NFL game.

    I have, at multiple stadiums.

    During the Anthem the concession stand is not standing there hand over heart hats off – they are slinging beers to fans who are also not even paying attention. Roughly 1/3rd of the stadium is chugging beer, wearing a hat, talking, not paying any attention during the anthem. Please stop acting like this weird ritual is somehow so sacred that a guy kneeling instead of standing is disrespecting it.

    Since when did kneeling become an act of disrespect, anyhow?

  33. doctorrustbelt says:
    August 24, 2017 at 2:12 pm
    I have been commenting on colin kaepernick’s mediocre performance for years.
    ______________

    Since it is one of the very few things you have gotten right I guess you’ve earned the right to thump your own drum

  34. CK does get himself envolved in some distractions. In someways you have to admire that he just puts it out there but playing QB you either need to knuckle down and play or be a top 10 player were the hassle and questions that coaches or GMs might get asked about your off field decisions are worth the grief.

  35. Think about this. If you sign Kaepernick for whatever reason, and then later cut him, what are the odds there will be protests?

    Any owner/GM has to think about this. You could literally do the guy a favor and pick him up to give him a chance, find out he doesn’t fit your offense and/or play him and he plays like crap, cut him, and people would protest against you.

    Heck you might get protests because some people would think, if he was a backup, that he isn’t starting because of his protests.

    Think about protesters today.
    1. Generally they are protesting against PERCEIVED slights
    2. They really don’t know what the hell they are protesting about (lack of knowledge)
    3. Many of them are paid to protest and/or start violence.

    So yes, any team that signs him can definitely get the tables turned if they then released him.

    After all, Kaep’s GF called the owner of the Ravens a racist after they didn’t sign him. Tweeting a picture of Ray Lewis hugging him and then a picture of Samuel L. Jackson’s character in Django Unchained hugging Dicaprio’s plantation owner character Calvin Candie.

    What a psycho! Who wants to put up with that? That tweet alone hurts him.

  36. Wow. I am happy to hear a player that that both gets the situation AND is willing to speak honestly and openly about it. Unfortunately for Shady, the angry mobs with pitchforks and torches will be coming for him soon. I hope he stands his ground and doesn’t backtrack or claim that he was misunderstood, or offer a “more nuanced” statement like all the rest that bowed to the public pressure (Hue Jackson, John Lynch, etc).

  37. pkrlvr says:
    August 24, 2017 at 2:27 pm
    then how come everytime a Republican or white supremacist group wants to hold a speech, the Liberals and Democrats get violent and protest it???
    ——
    Isn’t their protest also freedom of speech? Violence isn’t acceptable on either side but don’t forget it wasn’t a democrat that did the running down in VA.
    _______

    Antifa can protest all they want, but why do their “protests” always end in violence? If not for this group of professional protesters, no one would have even heard about these white supremacist losers and whatever their cause was.

  38. Colin Kaepernick is not a top tier QB but I would still take him over Bortles, Geno Smith, Brock Osweiler, Scott Tolzien and a few others.

  39. Much like the president, when McCoy speaks, nobody really cares what he has to say. So, he’s now the NFL’s EF Hutton in reverse – when McCoy speaks, nobody should listen

  40. Lesean! You’re not towing the line. Black people will disown you if you admit not all failures are because powerful white america is racist and oppressive. See: Lil Wayne and Kanye West – no longer black.

  41. Some team should offer Kaep a $1 contract to see how bad he wants to “play football”. Then they should use him as a tackling dummy for the practice squad

  42. dezno24 says:
    August 24, 2017 at 2:02 pm
    That’s his opinion. Doesnt make him right. I agree that people are followers. When has Kaep came out stated he wanted 9 million dollars? He is alot better than these bum backups and some starters I have seen in preseason. Please lets kill all this “distraction” nonsense. Vick was a shell of himself and was still afforded the opportunity to COMPETE which should be the same for Kaep.

    ————————————-
    When has HE came out and said that HE wants a job? When has HE done anything for HIMSELF in all of this?

  43. The first time Kaepernick stepped on the field he led the 49ers to the super bowl. The second year he stepped on the field he took them back to the NFC Championship game. Both games were lost by a whisker, so he was very close to being a two time super bowl winning QB. Very, very close. The next year, the 49ers signed a stadium deal that was stuck in the works for years. As soon as the new deal was signed, the owner pulled the power away from Jim Harbaugh, and gave it back to Trent Baalke. The whole organization imploded, and Kaepernick was caught in the middle. It was so bad that several key veteran players, who still had many seasons left, decided to walk away the franchise. Then the 49ers hired Jim Tomsula. He was so bad they fired him after one year. Then they hired Chip Kelly. He was also so bad they fired him after one year. These coaches were so bad that the owner decided he was better off eating millions and millions of dollars in coaches’ contracts. That’s not exactly an environment where a young QB can thrive. He obviously was a championship QB when the team had a competent leader, Jim Harbaugh. Perhaps McCoy thinks Chip Kelly is a great coach. Are there two people named LeSean McCoy?

  44. Even the players think it’s because he’s not good enough to be worth the headache. Can we PLEASE give this story a rest now?

  45. Keap isn’t the best QB out there. However he is better than all but one or two backups, and better than 5-10 starters. Houston, Jacksonville, Buffalo, New York Jets, and Miami (Cutler being in the system before still isn’t as good as Keap) all could use him as a starter.

    Tebow had major headaches in a following that would buy billboard space to support him and was a much weaker QB. Still got two training camp calls.

    It’s about 25% play and 75% controversy in my opinion.

  46. I went back and re-read Hue Jackson’s comments about Kizer, and how an NFL starting QB needs to have intense focus and sense of purpose. Also the comments about putting the phone down and eliminating outside distraction.

    Good analysis and good article. I have no idea if Kizer is the answer at QB, but it sounds like he is putting in the effort.

    That situation is the polar opposite of the Kaepernick saga.

    1. does Kaep want to be an NFL QB? He hasn’t said so publicly.
    2. does he want to be a social activist? He hasn’t said that either.
    3. Is he working out? Where’s the evidence?
    4. is he speaking out?
    5. is he hiding out?

    He seems like a kid who thought it would be cool to play with matches. But now that his house has burned to the ground, a crushing reality has set in. He is radioactive to NFL teams. But his activism needs the credibility the NFL provides.

    The longer he tries to have it both ways by saying and doing nothing, the more likely he’ll end up with neither.

    He is now in the 2-minute drill of his life.

  47. godfatherd says:
    August 24, 2017 at 2:07 pm
    Whether or not you think he is a starter, a guy who can complete almost 60% of his passes, throw 3 TD’s for every pick, and has starter experience should be one of the two or three most desirable backups in the league.

    7 93 Rate This
    ——————-
    The negatives on your completely accurate comment show what the real issue is. It’s about race and a black man taking a stand pure and simple.

  48. @
    cas5875 says:

    this is 100% truth…

    People want to point to the protests and rationaize that as the reason, the bottom line is, he’s just not that good, and hasnt been since the Harbaugh/SF split.
    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Name 5 players on that roster that are still as good as when Harbaugh was HC? That’s the biggest difference.

  49. charliecharger says:
    The first time Kaepernick stepped on the field he led the 49ers to the super bowl. The second year he stepped on the field he took them back to the NFC Championship game. Both games were lost by a whisker, so he was very close to being a two time super bowl winning QB

    Do people think that if they repeat the same clichés over and over that others will eventually start believing them?
    Colin Kaepernick made some bones with his legs during the NFL’s brief flirtation with the read-option, but it was the Niners’ defense, running game and coaching that “led” San Francisco to the Super Bowl.
    The next year the Niners did come within a “whisker” of getting to a second straight Super Bowl. They probably would have gotten there, except for FOUR Kaepernick turnovers in the NFC title game — three picks and a lost fumble.
    Since then, teams have figured out the read option, and Kaepernick has become a worse passer with each progressive season. He’s 1-10 in his last 11 starts. But I know, he “led” the Niners to the Super Bowl all by himself, while all his failures can be laid at the feet of others.
    Spin it any way you like. Being “very, very close” to being a two-time Super Bowl champ is the same as not having won any Super Bowls.
    I know and you know that if any NFL GM thought Keepernick could help them win games he’d be employed right now, just like all the other guys that kneel and still have jobs.

  50. QBs who should not have a job over Kaep: EJ Manuel,Mark Sanchez, Geno Smith, Matt McGloin, Mike Glennon, Ryan Mallet, Matt Schaub, Scott Tolzien, Derek Anderson, Case Keenum, Matt Barkley, Blaine Gabbert, Matt Moore,Chase Daniel, Josh Johnson, Austin Davis,and Kellen Moore.

    You have to try REALLY hard to give me a football reason why these QB’s even have jobs.

  51. So domestic abuse, rape, DUI, substance abuse and by the way, McCoy’s name has shown up in the news for an off the field incident, doesn’t make you radioactive to the team? That’s total B.S. The fact is he had better numbers last season than eight of this year’s starting QBs.

  52. doctorrustbelt says:
    August 24, 2017 at 2:12 pm
    I have been commenting on colin kaepernick’s mediocre performance for years.
    _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    And Jay Cutler’s for even longer than that so what’s your point?

  53. Hawknballs says:

    August 24, 2017 at 2:35 pm

    You can say it’s about “his play” all you want, but as long as real actual NFL teams are fielding QB’s who’ve played FAR worse than this guy in recent seasons, that’s simply not true.

    And if you’re upset that he kneels during the Anthem and that’s somehow “Disrespectful”, you’ve apparently NEVER been to an actual NFL game.

    I
    Since when did kneeling become an act of disrespect, anyhow?

    ——————————————–

    well, for starters, since Kaepernick said it was – please keep up.

  54. LakefrontLegend says:
    Lol, the same people calling McCoy a knucklehead for years are now calling him Einstein. Riiiiiiiiiiight.

    As the old cliche goes, even a blind pig finds an acorn every once in a while.
    To paraphrase, even a “knucklehead” gets it right every once in a while — and this is one of those times.

  55. deangelo1776 says:
    August 24, 2017 at 2:00 pm

    Kaepnernick is better than almost all of the backups in the league.

    And that’s the bottom line! Period. And if you find fault in that logic, you’re and either an idiot or you just hate Kaep.

  56. Oh no he just spoke the truth! Don’t you know the truth is hate speech?? You are only allowed to speak of Kaepernick in PC approved terms or its blasphemy!

  57. QBs who should not have a job over Kaep: EJ Manuel,Mark Sanchez, Geno Smith, Matt McGloin, Mike Glennon, Ryan Mallet, Matt Schaub, Scott Tolzien, Derek Anderson, Case Keenum, Matt Barkley, Blaine Gabbert, Matt Moore,Chase Daniel, Josh Johnson, Austin Davis,and Kellen Moore.

    You have to try REALLY hard to give me a football reason why these QB’s even have jobs.

    ———————-
    size of contract related to role on the team. in a salary cap league, you can thave backup qb making over $10m. one of these days you guys arguing backup qbs will understand nfl economics

  58. lambchop731 – I do hate Kaepernick for good reason. He praises communist dictators, insults police officers and embraces left wing extremists with terror ties like Linda Sarsour. That’s plenty of good reason to hate him and none of it has to do with his race.

    Better than all the backups in the league? That’s debatable, its also irrelevant. He is simply not good enough to warrant the unwanted baggage and media attention, and the inevitable accusations of racism against any team or coach who refuses to play him or cuts him. Why in a million years would any organization want to deal with that garbage for a below average at best player?

  59. Couldn’t have said it better myself. It reminds me of the Jeff George situation. He could still play but no team wanted him because he was such a pain to deal with. To some extent, T.O. was the same. Greg Hardy too. If he had put up big numbers in Dallas and not been such a pain he’d still be in the NFL, although not with the cocaine charges now.

  60. If you are to take ‘Shady’ McCoy at his word, then re-read it. He clearly is saying Colin is good enough to play QB in the NFL, but teams won’t sign him because of his protest.

    So we are back to Square One. He’s good enough to play but teams won’t sign him because of his protest. It is UNDEBATABLE that Colin is at least good enough to be a backup QB. Ask the Ravens. The coach and GM wanted to sign him, the owner veto’d it.

    And please spare me the #falsenarrative about him being a “distraction”. Players don’t really believe that, regardless of what Shady said. Does anyone really think a sports reporter’s extra questions about a Kaepernick or a Tebow during DESIGNATED MEDIA TIME keeps a player or a team from performing on Sundays? I always LOL when I hear a fan or the media bring up “distractions” like Tebow or Kap.

    What an owner means by “distraction” is he’s worried that this would affect the team’s financial bottom line (which ignores the other side of the coin, that by not signing Kap, his supporters could also affect a team’s bottom line). It has nothing to do with any sort of competitive disadvantage from a “distraction”.

  61. This might be the best story I have seen on this site in some time. CKs issues really do stem from the fact that he can’t play. One read, can’t do check downs – oops I am running. That isn’t worth the potential distraction from his other actions. If he was a top player or even a pretty good one no one would be arguing his credentials. But he isn’t.

  62. Have a lottery drawing to determine what lucky team is given the opportunity to be forced into signing him. That will be a fair and just outcome to this silliness.

  63. maestro1899 – What part of he’s not good enough to warrant the unwanted media attention and circus surrounding him do you not comprehend? To suggest a player dragging a toxic, divisive political issue into a locker room is not a distraction is absurd beyond belief. Tebow most certainly WAS a distraction and it is well known his team mates got sick and tired of it. Do you really think any owner wants his team to end up being the name and face of BLM, Linda Sarsour, Antifa and every other loony left wing communist group out there? Owners should be worried about their bottom line and they are in no way obligated to spit in the face of their paying customers just to appease a left wing mob.

  64. bayquake says:
    August 24, 2017 at 3:07 pm

    QBs who should not have a job over Kaep: EJ Manuel,Mark Sanchez, Geno Smith, Matt McGloin, Mike Glennon, Ryan Mallet, Matt Schaub, Scott Tolzien, Derek Anderson, Case Keenum, Matt Barkley, Blaine Gabbert, Matt Moore,Chase Daniel, Josh Johnson, Austin Davis,and Kellen Moore.

    You have to try REALLY hard to give me a football reason why these QB’s even have jobs.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Here are my football reasons.

    His skill set is different that all of them with maybe a few exceptions. Kaepernick is a mobile read option QB most of these are pocket passers. As a pocket passer he is questionable.

    These are all backups. He doesn’t want to be a backup

    That wasn’t hard at all.

  65. To compromise the NFL should not play the national anthem. Instead play F the police.

  66. Geesh, I hope they are paying Shady for being a public announcer, because he deserves it.
    Finally someone called it, as it is, not what they heard.
    Kap is a good footballer, but he is one dimensional (one read and run). No upside. They didn’t win games, not only because of poor team talent, but because when the 4th Q came, everybody knew what was coming (run Kap run).

  67. NOT TOO MENTION HE OPTED OUT OF HIS CONTRACT W/SF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    HE WILLINGLY GAVE UP MILLIONS OF $.

    I am convinced he does not want to play football anymore. He enjoys the martyrdom.

  68. “McCoy seems to think a lot of the commentary surrounding Kaepernick has come from people whose opinions aren’t worth much.”

    I don’t see that at all based on what you’ve quoted from Shady.

    Saying Kaep’s protests are not worth the distraction does not change the content, validity or value of Kaep’s protest.

    Shady’s saying Kaep’s distraction may not be worth it to teams. That’s IT.

    I’d like PFT to point out specifically what Shady says that means some people have opinions that aren’t worth much, because I’m not seeing it so I must be missing it entirely.

  69. I don’t know why some people are determined to see racism and rights violations when it’s just not the case.
    Try to be dispassionate about this and play NFL GM/Coach for a moment.
    Here’s what you’re guaranteed to deal with if you sign Kaepernick:
    1) Constant media circus. Every press conference will be about the backup QB. Every player will be asked daily about the story.
    2) Pressure from the media and protesters to play and/or start him. If you don’t you face charges of being a racist.
    3) Alienating a portion of your fan base. You’ll definitely hear it from them.
    4) Disruption in your locker room and team culture right before the season begins.
    5) Risk of upsetting your Starting QB as his backup will be the main story.
    6) Protests and Getting called a racist if you decide you have to bench or cut Kaepernick.
    7) Dealing with Kaep’s girlfriend’s antagonistic social media posts and potential disruption.
    8) And most importantly….for dealing with all the above….getting a below average QB who struggles in a typical drop-back offense.

    Be honest….the juice isn’t worth the squeeze. Kaepernick’s talent level isn’t worth the circus and distractions. It’s a business decision. And an easy one.

  70. Kapernicks problem is $$$$$. He wants to much. He was going to make $14 Million in San Fran. and he wants more than that to sign with any team. They are not going to give it to him. That is why he is not signed, plan and simple. If he would reduce his asking price he would be on a team.

  71. An anonymous GM just said it has more to do with protests. If his play was the same with no protest of last year, he would be on a team right now. If I were an owner of team, I would way the pros and cons of signing him and looking at the effect on my pockets as well, but you people act like this is strictly due to his play on the field and that’s hogwash. 16 TD’s, 4 INTs in 11 games on a crappy team. Oh yeah, there are 70 NFL QBs better than Kap. Give me a break!

  72. Hey McCoy

    You never played in the Super Bowl clown and guess what ? Kaps jersey is hanging in a museum because he tried to make a difference. You’re just a nobody in life. what number are you? What team?

  73. If I protested at my job I would get fired. If I listed on my next job application the reason for leaving my last job was I was fired for protesting that place would probably not hire me either. It isn’t the fact that he was protesting something that needs to be addressed many players are and still are protesting and no one cares or gets upset because they don’t declare all police officers bad, where police/pig socks, and talk about what a great man one of the most ruthless dictators is. If he wants to impress me and take a stand since he is unemployed anyways he should get a job as a policeman in someplace like South Central LA, Detroit, Chicago, etc. that would give me respect for the man.

  74. People keep saying he got 16tds and 4ints on a crappy team! Lets think about that he played well but his team still sucked. Yea the D sucked but the offense was just as worse. Lets not forget the previous years when they were starting McCoy and Blaine Gabbert over him. 6td and 5ints in the previous year in 9games! His completion pct is sub 60 he’s not a true pocket passer. So even if you bring him in you will need a certain offense that would fit his skill set. Thats why Cutler gets a job because although his numbers aren’t the greatest he can fit onto any team that has a traditional QB. Kaepernick teams are limited to ones that play with a mobile QB Seattle and Carolina?

  75. Point conceded to the hard core liberal social justice warriors. Colin Kaepernick AND the guy who eats a hot dog in the stands during the anthem should both be disqualified for the job of NFL QB.

    Move on to your next bogus straw man argument please. The ‘guy in the stands’ argument is fake news.

  76. Thank you LeSean! This is the truth. If he was not involved in activism, there are more than a few teams who would kick the tires, no doubt. They just dont want the grief. However, because of his lack of total dedication to football, substandard play, he currently has no takers. That’s it.

  77. When is Kap going to come out and say if he wants to play football. Nothing said from that end, if he wants to play shouldn’t he be talking?

  78. I’m tired of hearing ’16 TD’s 4 picks’. Nick Foles threw 27 TD’s 2 picks in Chip kellys offense and he’s garbage. All you have to do is what h the games. Kap was not good in most of them. Inaccurate, and his team was near the bottom of scoring in the league. Just bc you don’t throw picks doesn’t make you a good qb, just ask tyrod taylor

  79. 32 owners just watched that show at NFL headquarters and thought to themselves “Thats what I have to look forward to if I so much as touch this guy, or even get perceived to be thinking about touching him”.

  80. Just my personal opinion, most of the people who agree with Shady’s statement just don’t like the fact that Colin did not stand for the anthem. Honestly, the guy is a better QB than most people who have jobs now. People will say look at the numbers and I would say look at the team he has had after the Superbowl. People make it seem like it was a talented offense around him. It’s all a matter of choice and preference to what you believe in and value.

  81. People will protest anything these days. He is a multi-millionaire athlete desperate for a job. At best he is an average backup QB. People need to get a life if they are out there demanding that Colin get a job.

  82. NFL is essentially saying that actually physically beating cops like Lesean did is ok but kneeling for anthem is way over the line. Got it.

  83. nflscouting says:
    August 24, 2017 at 2:45 pm

    Much like the president, when McCoy speaks, nobody really cares what he has to say. So, he’s now the NFL’s EF Hutton in reverse – when McCoy speaks, nobody should listen

    —————

    Not sure about McCoy, but I’ll guarantee that when YOU speak nobody listens.

  84. Never thought I would say it, but McCoy is right. No team would want his unaware social justice warrior nonsense, his nut ball girlfriend, or his forcing a employer in to a keeping him just to avoid a bad PR situation garbage that went down in SF.
    Nobody deserves squat snowflakes, you gotta go out there, do your job, and leave all the other stuff for your offtime. Politics, religion, and relationships shouldn’t be discussed in the locker room or the football field…because everyone is different, it only causes problems. You can do whatever want, but keep the crap out of your work place or you may be looking for employment…ask Collin.

  85. There you go. LeSean understands the concept of supply and demand and business performance. A simple concept that many people seem to not grasp and then resort to false entitlement.

  86. streetyson says:
    August 24, 2017 at 2:20 pm
    Protests aside, I’d have thought Kaep would make an ok-enough backup for the Seahawks’ Wilson setup – but I guess the biggest reason they don’t want Kaep is because among coaches (not least in Seattle and San Fran) scrambling appears to have gone back out of fashion these past few years and Kaep didn’t seem to transition into a traditional pocket guy too well despite Kurt Warner’s guru-ship.
    ___________________________________________

    Seattle came close to signing him, but didn’t. They didn’t state publicly why, but I assume they were kicking the tires on him in case our mobile backup, who had some legal issues, got locked up. At the end of the day, Boykin was cleared and any need for a backup disappeared. Sure, Austin Davis was signed, but he’s a camp arm. He’s there to push Boykin and will be gone before the season begins. The Seahawks weren’t going to sign Kaep to be a camp arm. Had Boykin’s legal issues amounted to something, he probably would’ve been cut and Kaep might be Russell Wilson’s backup now.

    Personally, I agree with Kaep that there is a problem with the police. Kneeling during the anthem- it’s his protest and I’m ok with that. Pig socks? He crossed my line there. He might be better than a great number of backup QBs in the league now, but as a fan, I’m not a fan of his. As a Seahawk fan, I’m already not a fan – but I can put that aside. He might have fit as a backup on our team, but being disrespectful to the police? They put their lives on the line for us. There are bad police, but they are not the majority.

    He’s burnt enough bridges with the fans that it’ll be hard for him to go anywhere and not have a fuss made. By October, a QB or two will probably go down and he might get a look. It will be desperation that gets him signed and nothing else.

  87. Fried Toast says:
    August 24, 2017 at 8:02 pm

    Personally, I agree with Kaep that there is a problem with the police. Kneeling during the anthem- it’s his protest and I’m ok with that. Pig socks? He crossed my line there. He might be better than a great number of backup QBs in the league now, but as a fan, I’m not a fan of his. As a Seahawk fan, I’m already not a fan – but I can put that aside. He might have fit as a backup on our team, but being disrespectful to the police? They put their lives on the line for us. There are bad police, but they are not the majority.

    He’s burnt enough bridges with the fans that it’ll be hard for him to go anywhere and not have a fuss made. By October, a QB or two will probably go down and he might get a look. It will be desperation that gets him signed and nothing else.
    —————————————————————————————

    Kneeling during the anthem is a protest and you’re okay with that. Well, I’m not. Because for the 1000th time — he has no business doing it at work, just like anyone else.
    And you say there is a problem with the police. Again, I disagree. When you behave yourself and do what they ask you to do, there is almost always no problem with them. And I’m glad you know that the police put their lives on the line to protect us and that the {great} majority of them are good people.

  88. Looks like the Fox “News” crowd is out in full force today.

    Then again, in 20 years of covering major college and pro sports, I learned that the average fan has the attention span of a three-year-old when it comes to anything not connected to sports, which is why I happily walked away from doing it 25 years ago.

  89. Lol of course majority of the comments on this board would agree with Mcoy. A lot of cut and pasting might I add. I guess Mcoys jersey sales will take a rise this week.

  90. If Colin Kaepernick’s protesting is the reason why he has a job then why are guys like Michael Bennett, Malcolm Jenkins, and Marshawn Lynch still in the league? Maybe it’s time for Kaepernick’s supporters to admit that he doesn’t even have a completion percentage above 60% and his record is terrible therefore he doesn’t deserve to be in the league.

  91. A player coming forward and saying it is exactly what is needed. No one is blackballing Kap but Kap himself by alienating himself and causing the circus. Yes, what he is doing off the field is great but did not need to upset the majority of the country by doing and saying what he has said about the national anthem.

  92. whoever said social justice media is a genius, just like LeSean McCoy. HA HA HA, that’s a good one. Kaepernick is a loser. LeSean McCoy has the balls to say it.

  93. No one’s going to read this and I’m not going to change any minds, but to answer some of the dumber questions:

    Q. Why hasn’t player X been cut for protesting?
    A. Because Kap started it, so he is seen as more dangerous.

    Q. Who in their right mind would sign Kap for (insert made up dollar amount)?
    A. You don’t know how much Kap is asking for- no one does. So stop making up numbers or repeating made up ones. He did meet with the Seahawks, who are right up against the salary cap, so he’s obviously not insisting on a huge number.

    Q. Then why did he opt out of $14m+?
    A. Because he was going to be cut anyway. Anyone with an 80+ IQ who follows the team knew it, and John Lynch has confirmed.

  94. “With certain guys, it’s not worth it.”

    Excellent summary, Shady. The guy was a one-trick pony and the league caught on to his trick. He couldn’t or wouldn’t adjust, and/or just didn’t have the ability to be a pocket QB. He’d be a never-ending distraction, a media circus, even if he COULD play and DID keep his yap shut.

    An NFL starting QB is supposed to be able to play well. Kaep can’t. An NFL backup QB is supposed to be ready and able to fill in AND NOT BE A DISTRACTION; in fact, he is at his best when he’s invisible. Kaep can’t do that, either.

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