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No one is rushing to call Colin Kaepernick and offer him a job. No worry, the 31-year-old quarterback is staying in shape and waiting by the phone. Kaepernick wants to be ready … just in case.
According to TMZ Sports, Kaepernick was spotted working out at a gym in New York City moments after Saturday night’s news broke that Andrew Luck was retiring from the NFL. The Indianapolis Colts have stressed repeatedly that they are confident in letting backup Jacoby Brissett take over as the starter.
But there is a large chasm of a drop-off at the quarterback position after Brissett. What would happen if he went down? Well, Kaepernick is out there and appears to be in football shape. TMZ Sports reported the former 49ers star has been “hitting the gym daily and working out with a quarterbacks coach regularly” ever since he unceremoniously left the league in 2016. Per TMZ Sports:
The quarterback hit up a gym in New York City on Sunday to get his pump on … just in case that phone rings from an NFL team. Kaepernick has made it clear to friends and fans that he wants to keep playing football — and recently debuted a counter on his social media pages showing the days he’s been out of work.
Colin Kaepernick Hits the Gym after Andrew Luck Retirement, Stayin’ Ready
Colin Kaepernick Guest Edits Paper Magazine
Colin Kaepernick may still be looking for work as an athlete, but his crusade for social justice is never-ending. The quarterback was recently chosen as a guest editor for Paper Magazine where he detailed what inspired his activism and how everyone needs to “know their rights.” He gathered a respected panel of 10 “black thought leaders” to start a conversation about socially-conscious issues.
The New York-based indie culture magazine’s “People” issue hits newsstands on Sept. 3. Here is an excerpt, via Paper:
Ten months before the then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback took a knee during the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” in protest of systemic anti-Blackness and police terrorism, he and his partner, Nessa, devised a plan. The seeds of that plan gave birth to the Know Your Rights Camp (KYRC), a traveling youth-empowerment initiative.
As Kaepernick describes it, “The discussion happened shortly after the execution of Mario Woods.” The murder of the 26-year-old Woods on December 2, 2015 by five San Francisco police officers left Kaepernick with feelings of loss, pain and anger.
Kaepernick’s panel included celebrities like actress Taraji P. Henson, civil rights activist Angela Davis, Me Too movement founder Tarana Burke and transgender actress Indiya Moore. The photography, powerful in its shadowy imagery, was done by Philadelphia’s Shawn Theodore.
@Kaepernick7 @yourrightscamp “This movement needs all types of people. From athletes to healers to poets and artists to scholars and lawyers, we need everyone to contribute to the struggle. The struggle is affecting all of us. Period.” @Kaepernick7 @yourrightscamp t.co/9FsMgNI7r7
Does Kaepernick Have a Future in the NFL?
The short answer to this question is no. There has already been a slew of quarterbacks injured in the preseason — guys like Nate Sudfeld, Colt McCoy and Chad Henne — plus Andrew Luck’s unexpected retirement. No one has phoned Kaepernick unless you want to read into comments from Eagles head coach Doug Pederson. When Henne went down over the weekend, the Chiefs immediately signed Matt Moore. There has been no contact with Kaepernick.
With Chad Henne suffering a fractured ankle, the Chiefs are signing former Dolphins’ QB Matt Moore, per source. He now will back up Patrick Mahomes.
The NFL reached a settlement agreement with Kaepernick and dismissed his collusion case against the league. It was hush money, plain and simple. But Kaepernick refuses to go away and keeps reminding everyone that he’s “still ready” to play. While many aren’t willing to forgive and forget his controversial anthem kneel-downs, there is an undeniable amount of respect for the movement he has created. One former NFL front office executive wasn’t afraid to go on record saying that Kaepernick had been “ostracized.”
“Colin is a pioneer,” Andrew Brandt told The Guardian. “He is a beacon for other athletes. We can all talk about his impact. But he’s also not getting to do what he wants, which is play football. He has been ostracized.”
5am. 5 days a week. For 3 years. Still Ready.
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