FORMER 49ERS QB COLIN KAEPERNICK ASKS JETS FOR CHANCE TO LEAD PRACTICE SQUAD AS ZACH WILSON FRUSTRATION GROWS
Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, has written a letter to the New York Jets asking to be their third string quarterback and for a position on the team’s practice squad.
Kaepernick, who hasn’t played in the National Football League since 2016, had his letter to the Jets released publicly after he gave North Carolina rapper, J. Cole, the permission to do so. In a letter referenced to Jets’ General Manager, Joe Douglas, Kaepernick asked for a chance to lead the team’s practice squad and for the opportunity to get the Jets’ defense ready each week.
“I know that there are currently depth issues at the [quarterback] position, and I’ve heard that the back-up spot is likely to be filled by a veteran quarterback,” wrote Kaepernick. “As much as I would love the opportunity to fill that spot, I’m writing you in hopes that you can imagine a much different approach involving me. I would be honored and extremely grateful for the opportunity to come in and lead the practice squad. I would do this with the sole mission of getting your defense ready each week.”
Kaepernick went on to list out the advantage of his dual threat ability as a “truer read” for the defense going into Weeks 4, 5, and 6 of the regular season against Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Broncos’ Russell Wilson, and Eagles’ Jalen Hurts.
The 2017 GQ Magazine Citizen of the Year reiterated that the opportunity would also allow the Jets to take a look at his game without putting competitive pressure on Zach Wilson. Kaepernick’s letter was written on Sept. 21st, three days before the Jets’ week 3 game against New England at MetLife Stadium.
“Worst-case scenario you see what I have to offer and you’re not that impressed,” Kaepernick went on. “Best case scenario, you realize you have a real weapon at your disposal in the event you ever need to use it.”
The 35-year-old said he has “never retired or stopped training” and that his training schedule has remained the same in the six years he hasn’t been in the league. Kaepernick also attached references within the league that would vouch for his character, worth ethic and ability, including Baltimore Ravens head coach, John Harbaugh, and Las Vegas Raiders’ owner, Mark Davis. Kaepernick also mentioned his former Niners coaches Jim Harbaugh and Chip Kelly, who are currently college head coaches at Michigan and UCLA respectively.
The letter’s surfacing comes amidst skepticism within the media and the general public surrounding Jets quarterback Zach Wilson’s ability to lead what is a championship-caliber team to the playoffs, let alone the Super Bowl. Wilson’s performance on Sunday against Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots had all of New York riled up and frustrated after he completed only half of his 36 passes for 157 passing yards and no touchdowns. Wilson registered a season-low 17.6 QBR and had a 61.9 passer rating.
The performance was negatively received from the media, fans and former players alike with Jets legend, Joe Namath, chiming in on Monday following the 15-10 loss. The Jets Hall of Fame quarterback said on ESPN’s The Michael Kay Show that he did not take anything positive from Wilson’s performance on Sunday and labelled it “awful” and “disgusting.”
“No, I didn’t take anything positive out of it yesterday. It was awful,” said Namath. “Why? Were you watching? Was anyone watching? I mean, please… You sit down? You sit down on the play, you go right down? I thought you were trying to win and make plays. You quit on a play? What is going on? It’s disgusting.”
“[I’d] send him to Kansas City to back up against somebody like [Patrick] Mahomes, maybe he’d learn something. I wouldn’t keep him. I’ve seen enough of Zach Wilson. Alright? I’ve seen enough. [He] has quick feet, can throw a little bit but I don’t believe what’s going on up there.”
Although Namath’s rant was negatively received by Jets quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, who went down with a torn Achilles in Week 1, most of the team’s fan base responded quite positively to the Super Bowl III champion. And with reports from New York claiming that head coach Robert Saleh risks losing the locker room over his loyalty to Zach Wilson, it might actually be time for the Jets to start looking for a solution at quarterback somewhere else.
While Namath would blatantly prefer trading away Zach Wilson, it probably is in the best interest of the organization to stick to their original plan of acquiring a veteran starter whom Wilson can sit behind and learn the intricacies of playing the position at this level. The team signed 31-year-old Trevor Siemian – who was with the organization in 2019 – on Tuesday. While he’s a solid acquisition, the nine-year veteran isn’t a massive improvement on Wilson.
Only time will tell if the Jets will actually consider Kaepernick’s offer and grant him a visit. While this seems extremely unlikely, the clock continues ticking for Wilson and the Jets, as the team prepares for a difficult three-game stretch before their bye in Week 7. The Jets host the defending Super Bowl champions, Kansas City Chiefs, on Sunday Night Football this week at MetLife Stadium at 8:20 pm ET.
-Maher Abucheri
Twitter: @pabloikonyero
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