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The best NFL quarterback that is still without a job is Colin Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback that led them to back-to-back NFC Championship games. The biggest reason that Kaepernick is still unemployed while other lesser names are getting jobs is that he chose to kneel down instead of standing during the National Anthem in 2016 to bring attention to the growing numbers of deaths among young African Americans.
When asked about Colin Kaepernick still not signing with an NFL team for 2017, Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett told ESPN radio on Wednesday that the entire situation is “crazy.” Bennett believes that the reason teams are not reaching out to Colin is that he brought race and politics into the public eye during NFL games.
Colin Kaepernick is “like Muhammad Ali”
When talking about the Colin Kaepernick situation, Michael Bennett said that people are talking about him like no other NFL player this offseason. Bennett even compared Colin to Muhammad Ali because of the impact he has had when it comes to opening a dialogue about a very controversial topic. Bennett even said that he sees people coming up to Kaepernick on the streets and talking to him about the entire controversy.
Michael Bennett then returned to an earlier stance he had concerning teams avoiding Colin Kaepernick because of the kneeling situation. Bennett said that it is crazy that teams have no problems signing people “accused of sexual assault,” players with gun charges, players who drink and smoke, but have a problem with a silent protest during the National Anthem.
It is telling that team owners such as New York Giants’ owner John Mara will keep a player accused of beating his wife under contract but refuses to sign someone who knelt during the National Anthem.
Bringing race into sports
Michael Bennett did say that the biggest deal with Colin Kaepernick is that he brought race into sports.
He said that bringing race and politics into sports will always cause a huge problem. Even Bennett’s own Seattle Seahawks team chose not to sign Colin and went with Austin Davis to compete with Trevone Boykin for the backup job to Russell Wilson. Neither of those quarterbacks have done half of what Kaepernick has done over his NFL career but Seattle head coach Pete Carroll said that he didn’t sign Kaepernick because Carroll feels he should be a starter for a team.
While not talking about his Seattle Seahawks, Michael Bennett believes that the NFL has blackballed Colin Kaepernick for bringing discussion about race and politics into the NFL. Bennett said that no one wants to talk about it and it rubbed them the wrong way.
