Training camps around the NFL will kick off in the coming weeks, and after a long offseason, Colin Kaepernick still doesn’t have a team to suit up for. The former 49ers quarterback has dealt with plenty of backlash over the last 11 months for his decision to kneel during the national anthem. By now, many have deduced that his outspokenness, and not his talent level, is what’s keeping him on the free agent market.
Super Bowl-winning quarterback Joe Theismann joined Murph & Mac on KNBR Thursday morning to talk about Kapernick’s status and some comments Theismann himself made on Wednesday. Theismann made headlines by saying that Kap learned how “sacred” the flag is to people with his actions and is now dealing with the consequences. He reaffirmed those comments to Murph & Mac, adding that it was more of a wrong time, wrong place issue for Kaepernick rather than a wrong message.
“The flag that I think he dishonored basically represents the freedoms that are a part of this country and the people that fought for those freedoms,” Theismann said. “And I think that there’s a time and place to express your feelings. Every person has the right to be able to do that, that’s what the freedoms of this country are all about.”
The former Redskins QB said Kaepernick is now seeing that owners around the league are wary of the distractions Kapernick could cause by being a part of their teams. Even though Kaepernick was respected by 49ers teammates and even won the Len Eshmont Award last season in San Francisco for inspiration and courage, the media circus that would follow him is likely an unwelcome attraction for organizations in the NFL.
Theismann was quick to point out that Kaepernick is more talented than about half of the other quarterbacks in the league, so it’s not a quality issue for the six-year veteran.