NFL Rumors: QB Colin Kaepernick On 3 Teams' Radar?

The quarterback position has received heightened importance in recent years with teams emphasizing the passing game more than rushing. Not only are starting quarterbacks in demand, but so are reserves, making the fate of Colin Kaepernick all the more intriguing.

Kaepernick, who guided the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl in 2013, thrust himself into the spotlight in 2016 when he refused to stand for the national anthem. He claimed that he wouldn’t show pride in a country that oppresses black people and would kneel during the anthem, a form of protest some other NFL players and athletes would later follow.

The 29-year-old had been benched in favor Blaine Gabbert, but ended up playing 12 games while posting respectable numbers of 16 touchdowns and four interceptions, though he also fumbled seven times. In March, Kaepernick opted out of his 49ers contract amid reports that he would resume standing for the anthem.

The big question for NFL teams is whether they are willing to sign Kaepernick amid last season’s firestorm. Many would say Kaepernick compounded criticism by admitting that he didn't vote in the 2016 presidential election.

Kaepernick has been mentored by Harry Edwards, a civil rights activist and a renowned professor of sociology at the University of California Berkeley. Edwards drew headlines on Friday when he addressed the possibility of Kaepernick signing with an NFL team. Edwards confirmed that Kaepernick does indeed want to continue playing and would make a push to be a starter.

“I don’t think there’s any question that there are some owners who wouldn’t have him in the league, much less on their team,” Edwards told USA Today. “But I fully expect one (team to sign him), because it’s in the best interest of the league to have him on a team.

“You can’t have a league that’s approaching 80 percent black, and then say it you stand up and say anything relevant to these issues – especially in the age of (President) Trump – this is what happens to you. You can’t do that. You can’t just up and write off black protests as if this were 1950.”

The USA Today article didn't reference which three teams would be open to signing Kaepernick, and it's difficult to speculate which teams might want to sign him. Teams likes the Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have an opening for Kaepernick, but he would probably be a longshot to start on any of them. The New York Jets and the 49ers have the biggest void at quarterback.

Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News reported that a source has told him that there haven’t been serious negotiations between Kaepernick and teams, with no teams offering a deal of at least $5 million.

“There is zero evidence that any team has come anywhere close to signing Kaepernick, and a source close to Kaepernick told me yesterday that they have not discussed even general money terms with anybody this offseason,” Kawakami wrote.

In recent days, Kaepernick has been in Chicago for “Know Your Rights Camp,” an event that had previously been held in New York and the Bay Area, in which 50 volunteers spread awareness on “higher education, self-empowerment, and instructions to properly interact with law enforcement in various scenarios.”

In an article in The Nation, famed sportswriter Dave Zirin wrote Wednesday there was no conversation about whether Kaepernick was “being politically blackballed by the league” for his politics and activism.