Most have danced around the topic of why Colin Kaepernick still is without an NFL job.
Members of the football world generally have given the same politically correct answer: that teams around the league make decisions based on what’s best for their respective organizations. LeSean McCoy, on the other hand, didn’t hold back when giving his opinion on the controversial quarterback’s situation Thursday.
The Buffalo Bills running back didn’t pull punches: he believes most teams view Kaepernick as a potential distraction.
“It’s a lot more than just he’s not on the team because he doesn’t want to stand for the national anthem,” McCoy said, per the Buffalo News. “That may have something to do with it, but I think also it has a lot to do with his play. I’m sure a lot of teams wouldn’t want him as their starting quarterback. That chaos that comes along with it, it’s a lot. As a team, trying to win and not have a distraction on the team, I just take that as a player — there’s certain players that could be on the team with big distractions, and there’s other players that it’s not good enough or not worth it. I think his situation is not good enough to have him on the team with all the attention that comes along with it.”
McCoy has personal experience of being on a team with a controversial player. The star back was a member of the Philadelphia Eagles when the team decided to give Michael Vick a second chance after he was released from prison. But the difference between Vick and Kaepernick, according to McCoy, is that Vick was a far better player.
“That’s a great example. You take a guy like Michael Vick who went through what he went through. He’s 10 times better than Kaepernick,” McCoy said. “You’ll deal with that situation, that attention, that media aspect of it. The good, the bad attention you’ll get. Compared to Kaepernick, it’s like, he’s not really that good of a player to deal with.
“So people outside of sports don’t really know that. They see only one side of a black guy standing up for a good reason, but the NFL is against him, but I think it’s more than that. I think it has to do with some of that. But also, dealing with him with him on the team you’re trying to build together. There’s so many outsiders can mess up a team. I can see both sides, I really can. I just don’t think a guy like him – a great example you used for Michael Vick, and I was on that team, and I haven’t seen more media for a player like that ever. And we’ll deal with a guy like Michael Vick or LeBron James. You’re going to deal with them, that attention, good or bad, positive or negative, compared to a guy like Kaepernick, who’s just OK. He’s an OK player, you know? He might not make certain teams. But them guys I talked about, they’re going to make them teams. They’re going to be the star of the teams.”
While McCoy might be onto something, it’s still hard to make the case that Kaepernick shouldn’t be in the NFL. Several teams around the league feature QBs on their depths charts far less talented than the former San Francisco 49ers signal-caller. Unfortunately for Kaepernick, his overt political stances might keep him from playing on Sundays.
Thumbnail photo via Eric Hartline/USA TODAY Sports Images
