It's no secret that quarterback Colin Kaepernick has been having trouble finding work. Kaepernick, a top-32 quarterback in a 32-team league without 32 starting-caliber quarterbacks, is still unemployed. Many feel that that's no coincidence.
However it seems that the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) is ready to help him if he wants them to. In a talk with Deadspin, NFLPA President Eric Winston talked working with Kaepernick.
"We've been in contact with Colin's representatives, and we've let them know that we're there and ready to help with whatever they'd like — whether it's just some guidance on PR or whatever," he said.
"I know they've chosen to lay low, and I respect that — every player has to make a decision on how they want the union's help, and I completely understand that, and that's fine. The union's always stood ready to help him in any way that we need to. We will continue to monitor that situation, we'll continue to do anything that we can to make sure that he has another opportunity to play. At the end of the day, that's really it. We're not going to force ourselves on a player. He's calling the shots, he wants what he wants, and I respect that, and that's what we'll do."
When asked if he felt the NFL was blackballing Kaepernick, Winston said that he feels that they are.
"Of course. You definitely get that feeling — obviously, that's very hard to prove and it's very hard to show. But, at the same time, for Christ's sakes, you have an owner out there publicly saying, 'I'm polling fans to decide whether I should have this guy on my team or not.' It's obvious that owners are scared of it, are worried about it."
Colin Kaepernick seems to be getting lots of things done despite not currently being in the NFL. He has received looks from the Seahawks, the Ravens, and even the Giants though no one has made a move.
Although owners are perhaps concerned, fans are becoming increasingly vocal about their desire to see Kaepernick signed. A petition to boycott the NFL over Kaepernick's troubles has reached over 150,000 signatures on Change.org; and Spike Lee even hosted a rally in support of the player.
If he does make the roster, he probably won't stop his movement. With athletes like Marshawn Lynch and Malcolm Jenkins continuing to sit during the anthem, Kaepernick's absence in the NFL doesn't mean the absence of resistance.
It's time the NFL got the memo.