Colin Kaepernick appeared headed for a long, successful NFL career when he first came on the scene in Week 9 of the 2012 season and led the San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance just three months later.
Fast forward to 2017, though, and things dramatically have changed. Kaepernick is without an NFL job, while Smith has led the Chiefs to the playoffs in three of four seasons after San Francisco traded him to Kansas City.
Smith recently was asked about Kaepernick struggling to find NFL employment, and the Chiefs QB, like many of us, has been surprised at how his former teammate’s career has panned out.
“It’s hard for me to comment on it,” Smith told The Kansas City Star. “I don’t know. Lot going on in that landscape right now. Certainly when I was there, he was playing at a really, really high level, right? Had a lot in front of him as far as a career goes. He was playing really good football.
“Crazy to think he’s not playing. Yeah, that’s a crazy thing. As good as he was playing. Young, strong, I felt like he had a long career ahead of him. Crazy that at this point he’s out of a job.”
Kaepernick, who has been a lightning rod for criticism because of his national anthem protest, hasn’t had many suitors this offseason, either. The Baltimore Ravens reportedly were interested in his services, but the team ultimately went in another direction. Many believed the Dolphins would at least look at Kaepernick following Ryan Tannehill’s season-ending injury, but Miami was able to pull Jay Cutler out of retirement to serve as its starting signal-caller this season.
Kaepernick’s chances of landing an NFL gig continue to dwindle, as the 2017Â regular season kicks off in just a few weeks.
Thumbnail photo via Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports Images
