Did Michael Vick Apologize To Colin Kaepernick For Telling Him To Cut His Hair?

Former Atlanta Falcons star Michael Vick backtracked from his criticism of controversial free-agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick Tuesday morning after saying Kaepernick should "get a haircut" to strengthen his chances of being signed.

"Colin Kaepernick’s hair has nothing to do with him not being on a NFL roster right now," Vick wrote on Twitter. “Let’s be clear! I wish only the best for Colin. I stand by what I’ve said about him being signed at some point this season to help a NFL club.”

Kaepernick had his hair cropped short when he entered the NFL in 2011, but has sported a bushy afro in recent years. The 29-year-old officially opted out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers in March after drawing headlines in 2016 for refusing to stand during the national anthem in protest of police violence against the black community.

Vick, who spent 13 seasons in the NFL as a Pro Bowl quarterback, made the comments Monday on Fox Sports 1’s "Speak for Yourself." The 37-year-old targeted Kaepernick's hairstyle choice as holding him back for his employment search because it's not "clean cut" or "presentable."

"First thing we’ve got to get Colin to do is cut his hair," Vick said. “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 of controversy surrounding this issue. The most important thing that he needs to do is just try to be presentable."

Kaepernick seemed to indirectly respond to Vick on his own Twitter feed when he posted the definition of "Stockholm Syndrome" which outlined "victim brainwashing."

Part of the quick public-relations scramble by Vick comes after a visceral backlash on Twitter after the initial criticism of his Kaepernick's hair style was posted. Users were largely offended by the comment and the message of the show, while others debated the role that image plays in being the quarterback on an NFL team.

That online criticism continued as Vick made his apparent backtrack, with users saying that it's too late for apologies, and compared Vick to "Uncle Tom" characters.