Colin Kaepernick has yet to find a new NFL home for a variety of reasons.
One, Kaepernick has seemingly been blackballed by the league a bit after his protests of the national anthem last year. He’s said he won’t do the same thing again in 2017 and continues to make waves in other areas via donations and using his star status in this pursuit.
NFL teams simply haven’t come calling.
Another reason for his unemployment, though, might be his asking price and desired situation. According to Dan Graziano of ESPN, Kaepernick wants a chance to win a starting gig while making a nice salary:
Further, we know from multiple sources that Kaepernick isn’t just looking for any job. Two people to whom I spoke last week say he’s looking for a place that offers him a chance to compete for a starting job and a salary befitting a high-end backup quarterback or a low-end starter. Think something like $9 million to $10 million.
The money isn’t so much a problem as the opportunity to start. Most teams aren’t going to take a risk on a quarterback turning 30 in November who completes just 59.8 percent of his passes over the course of his career. His circumstances in San Francisco haven’t been the best, sure. And many will point out the Mike Glennon contract in Chicago, but Glennon is at least something of an unknown still after never receiving a fair shake in Tampa Bay.
There aren’t many starting gigs to go around. And keep in mind a guy by the name of Tony Romo is quite a bit more attractive to teams still needing a starter. If Kaepernick is demanding so much on top of the other circumstances around him, his continued lack of suitors makes sense.
Make no mistake—one has to think Kaepernick will have a job by the time the season rolls around. Injuries happen, drafts don’t pan out as expected, etc. But it’s going to take both a team and Kaepernick coming a little closer to the middle rather than hanging on the fringes of the situation.
About Chris Roling
Chris is an Ohio University E.W. Scripps School of Journalism graduate and associate editor here at TSD. He also covers breaking news and the NFL at Bleacher Report and resides in Athens (OH) with his wife and two dogs.
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