The Bengals have lost quarterback Joe Burrow for the rest of the season (and potentially into 2021), leaving them with Ryan Finley and Brandon Allen as the two options at the position.
Then there’s Colin Kaepernick. Remember him? He’s the guy who was shunned by the NFL as of 2017. He’s the guy who raised concerns about police interactions with minority men and women. He’s the guy who many realized had been vindicated after the public execution of George Floyd.
Kaepernick is the guy who, as of this posting, has his name trending on Twitter.
Remember when there was a sense that he’d finally get back in the league? Remember those strange reports that teams were thinking about doing it, even though they never actually talked about it directly with Kaepernick or his agent?
It was an effort to run out the clock, and it worked. The already-obvious strategy to ultimately avoid Kaepernick becomes even more blatant if/when (when) the Bengals fail to call Kaepernick.
There’s no point saying it should happen, because it won’t happen. It won’t. I’ve been called many things (some of which can actually be printed here), but at my core I’m a realist.
Kaepernick won’t be contacted. Kaepernick won’t be offered a chance to work out for the Bengals. Kaepernick won’t be offered a contract for the minimum salary for the balance of the year.
It just won’t happen. The ship has sailed. The lights are out. The party is over. The book is closed. Many other cliches could be used to convey the idea that it’s just done.
Kaepernick’s relationship with the NFL has been relegated to the dustbin of history. And history, frankly, will not look kindly on those who kept Kaepernick out of the NFL (they know who they are), and those who aided and abetted the process (they know who they are, too) by spreading false narratives aimed at justifying the failure and refusal to ever entertain offering him a job.