Punter Chris Kluwe might soon be out of a job with the Minnesota Vikings. Only, according to him, it may not be for the reasons you’d think.
Kluwe has been noted throughout his career for his social activism. Over the years, gay rights has been his pet topic, appearing on The Colbert Report and joining with former Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo to file a brief with the Supreme Court in support of gay marriage.
Last season, Kluwe wore a patch on his jersey in one game declaring that punters should be inducted into football’s hall of fame. However, that drew the ire of Vikings special teams coach Mike Priefer, who noted that Kluwe’s outspoken nature isn’t so entertaining to everyone.
“To me, it’s getting old,” Priefer said. “He’s got to focus on punting and holding.”
Now Kluwe is indicating that his activism may be the reason that Minnesota drafted former UCLA punter Jeff Locke to compete with Kluwe, or force the team to cut him. Immediately after the selection, true to form, Kluwe composed some pretty entertaining tweets, but that wasn’t all he had to say.
“It’s a shame that in a league with players given multiple second chances after arrests, including felony arrests, that speaking out on human rights has a chance of getting you cut,” Kluwe reportedly told Pro Football Talk via a text message.
For the record, the crime rate among NFL players is far below the national average, so that might be an unfair jab. However, Ayanbadejo made some very similar claims after he was cut by the Ravens earlier this offseason, so it’s certainly feasible that some NFL teams would prefer their players be seen and not heard.
Photo via Flickr/Joe Bielawa
