Colin Kaepernick once quarterbacked the San Francisco 49ers to back-to-back NFC Championship Games, but now the signal caller is struggling to find a job.
Kaepernick became a free agent after opting out of his contract with the 49ers at the start of the new league year. But despite being worthy of a roster spot, Kaepernick still remains on the open market.
Several members of the football world have given their two cents as to why Kaepernick remains unsigned, including Richard Sherman and Joe Thomas. The common theme among most of these opinions is Kaepernick’s polarizing nature could be unappealing to inquiring teams.
The six-year NFL veteran sent shockwaves around the sports world last year when he opted to kneel during the Star-Spangled Banner as a means of raising awareness to social injustice. Though Kaepernick has pledged to stand during the anthem in the upcoming season, the damage could already be done in the eyes of league front offices.
One team you can bank on not pursuing Kaepernick is his former squad in San Francisco. New 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke with reporters Wednesday, and while he respects Kaepernick’s game, he doesn’t believe it’s a good fit for his system.
“Colin’s had a great career, and he’s done some really good things,” Shanahan told the San Francisco Chronicle. “I think Colin has a certain skill set that you can put a specific offense to it that he can be very successful in.
“When we first looked at it … that wasn’t necessarily the direction I wanted to go. The type of offense I wanted to run was somewhat different and that’s why we went that type of direction.”
Judging by the relative lack of interest around the league, it’s safe to say Shanahan isn’t the only head coach not pursuing Kaepernick’s services.
Thumbnail photo via Kelley L Cox/USA TODAY Sports Images
