Colin Kaepernick is without a job as the preseason nears its halfway point, and there was a Rally held in his honor in front of the NFL offices. The quarterback did not organize the rally, but he was the focus of the rally. Those who believe that he is being blackballed wanted to have their voices heard, and they came out in mass numbers to ensure that the NFL heard their voice. The league office has nothing to do with his lack of a contract, but they certainly could be called out for it.
The rally matters
The rally may have been moderate in its attendance, but it mattered because it had the social media coverage that reminds people of Kaepernick's situation.
Someone who may have forgotten about him in the heat of the preseason was reminded this week, and someone who wishes to avoid the political ramifications of what he did cannot avoid them. The NFL is no longer a benign sport that can be free of political thoughts and ideas. It is a league that hosts one of the largest conversations on social justice we have ever had in this country.
Will it change anything moving forward?
The NFL is not likely to change, and I would find it interesting if the NFL started telling teams they needed to hire Kaepernick. That is not their job, and I doubt they are telling teams not to sign him. I believe the teams are deathly afraid of what could happen if they sign Kaepernick, and some likely do not want the trouble.
Other teams cannot do anything with him, and that creates a problem for protestors.
The Jets need a quarterback
The Jets need a quarterback, but they cannot use Kaepernick because they would win too many games this season. They need to have the number one pick to move on with their plans as a franchise, and it is important for the Jets to avoid Kaepernick.
I can see why the Dolphins did not sign Kaepernick if, in fact, the Cuban community was in an uproar over Castro. However, Baltimore could use him when they start the season, and they will be in trouble if they start the season without Joe Flavio. They will get what they deserve for not signing him, and they will lose games they could have won by simply signing the best player available.
Colin Kaepernick will not get signed because of this rally, but he will be signed at some point because a team needs him. They are afraid because they believe the political climate is too tense, and it would be hard to avoid the fact that a political conversation will come up either way.
