President Donald Trump would ‘love’ to see controversial free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick in the NFL again, that is, ‘if he’s good enough.’
Speaking with reporters outside the White House on Friday, Trump was asked about the former San Francisco 49ers star, who has been out of the NFL since protesting racism by kneeling during the national anthem throughout the 2016 NFL season.
‘Only if he’s good enough,’ Trump said. ‘If he was good enough, they’d hire him. Why wouldn’t he play if he was good enough?
‘I think if he was good enough, I know the owners, I know [New England Patriots owner] Bob Kraft, I know so many of the owners, if he’s good enough, they’d sign him,’ Trump continued. ‘So if he’s good enough, I know these people – they would sign him in a heartbeat. They will do anything they can to win games.
‘Frankly, I’d love to see Kaepernick come in, if he’s good enough. But I don’t want to see him come in because somebody thinks it’s a good PR move. If he’s good enough, he will be in.’
Speaking with reporters on Friday, President Donald Trump said he would ‘love’ to see controversial free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick (right) in the NFL again, that is, ‘if he’s good enough.’ Kaepernick has been out of the NFL since protesting racism by kneeling during the national anthem throughout the 2016 NFL season
The Houston Texans could be in the market for a backup quarterback after signal caller A.J. McCarron injured the thumb on his throwing hand.
In hopes of returning to the NFL, Kaepernick recently posted a workout video on Twitter to prove that he is ‘still ready’ after being ‘denied work for 889 days.’
The caption of Kaepernick’s tweet reads: ‘5am. 5 days a week. For 3 years. Still Ready.’
The video begins with a graphic, reading: ‘Denied work for: 889 Days (via @KapWatch).’
From there the 31-year-old is seen doing a variety of weight-lifting exercises including pull-ups, arm curls, push-ups, the chest fly, and lateral arm raises before taking off his sleeveless Nike shirt and tossing at the camera.
Anticipating his release from the 49ers, Kaepernick opted out of his contract in March of 2017 and has remained a free agent ever since while other players have continued protesting inequality and racist police brutality by kneeling before NFL games.
In the video, the 31-year-old is seen doing a variety of weight-lifting exercises including pull-ups, arm curls, push-ups, the chest fly, and lateral arm raises
Kaepernick and former teammate Eric Reid have both settled grievances with the NFL after accusing the league owners of conspiring to keep them out of the NFL in retaliation for the controversial protests.
Trump was particularly critical of the protests, and also publicly objected to Nike’s decision to make Kaepernick the face of the company’s ‘Just Do It’ campaign.
Kaepernick attorney Mark Geragos argued that it was a ‘statistical impossibility’ that Kaepernick had been passed over on merit alone, but it’s unclear if he had proof that the owners conspired to leave him unsigned. The amount of the settlements were never disclosed.
Over his six-year NFL career, Kaepernick completed 59.8 percent of his passes for 12,271 yards, 72 touchdowns and just 30 interceptions. He also ran for 2,300 yards and 13 touchdowns, gaining 6.1 yards per carry
The question of whether or not Kaepernick is good enough to play in the NFL has remained a topic of conversation around the league for the last two seasons.
Kaepernick did lead the 49ers to three consecutive NFC Championship games and one Super Bowl, and his career 88.9 quarterback rating is superior to the marks of several quarterbacks who started over the course of the 2018 season.
Over his six-year NFL career, Kaepernick completed 59.8 percent of his passes for 12,271 yards, 72 touchdowns and just 30 interceptions. He also ran for 2,300 yards and 13 touchdowns, gaining 6.1 yards per carry.
Previously both Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said they feel as though Kaepernick is good enough to be playing in the NFL, and Rogers went so far as to tell ESPN that he believes the former University of Nevada star remains a free agent because of the protests.
However, Kaepernick won only 11 of 35 starts from 2014 to 2016, and had lost his starting job by the end of the 2016 campaign.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell spoke to reporters ahead of Super Bowl LIII and insisted that teams made their respective decisions about Kaepernick individually.
‘If a team decides Colin Kaepernick or any other player can help their team win … that’s what they’ll do,’ Goodell said.
‘Our clubs are the ones that make decisions about players they want to have on their roster,’ Goodell continued. ‘They make it individually. They all want to win. They are going to do whatever they need to do to win. That’s our focus. It will continue to be our focus.’
In a recent poll conducted by The Athletic, 81 of 85 players said they believe the Kaepernick should be in the NFL. Two players voted ‘no’ and another two replied ‘no comment.’
While three players replied that Kaepernick should be a backup, many others believed he could start over such first-string quarterbacks as Blake Bortles (20 percent), who was recently released by the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Oakland Raiders signal caller Nathan Peterman (18 percent).
Bortles finished the season with a 79.8 quarterback rating while Peterman’s 30.7 mark would have been the NFL’s worst if he had enough games to qualify for the league’s leader board.
‘S***, any team that carries three quarterbacks for sure, the third guy on that roster,’ an anonymous player told The Athletic, explain whom Kaepernick should replace. ‘And a majority of the teams with two quarterbacks, he should be the backup. And some places he should be the starter.’
The controversial protests coincided with a 17 percent drop in Nielsen ratings for the NFL over the 2016 and 2017 seasons, but viewership was back up in 2018 as the league boasted the largest audiences of any American sports league.
The NFL did not institute any rule requiring players to stand for the anthem during the 2017 season, which resulted in significant criticism from President Donald Trump.
In May of 2018, the NFL and Goodell changed course and announced a new policy: Players would no longer be required to be on the field during the anthem – a rule that began in 2009 – but anyone on the field of play would be required to stand. Teams could be fined for any personnel not standing, and they would have the right to fine players individually.
However, the league changed course in July of 2018 and decided to negotiate a resolution with the players association. No final decision has been announced.