And the saga continues. Collin Kaepernick has reached out to the Jets and asked to be signed to their practice squad. He hasn’t played since the 2016 season and now he wants back in. So let’s take a look at the time since then and try to answer the main question. Can Kaepernick really still play in the NFL?

The Letter

Before we look at the past, we’ll look at the present. J Cole posted a letter on instagram that Kaepernick sent to the Jets. Here are the highlights. He is only asking for the opportunity to play on the practice squad. The first point was to address his sorrow for the Aaron Rodgers situation and the issues the Jets have in quarterback depth.

He also pointed out that he could offer preparation for the team against their upcoming opponents against mobile quarterbacks. Kaepernick also claims he has been working out every weekday for the past 6 years, without missing a session. He also made sure to make it clear that he does not want to take over as the starting quarterback. Kind of.

“I am sure of my ability to provide you with an elite QB option if, God forbid, QB1 goes down.” That’s a direct quote from his letter. He then listed football references including Jim and John Harbaugh, Chip Kelley, and Raiders owner Mark Davis. So the ball is now in the Jets court I suppose.

Kaepernick’s History

If you keep up with the NFL at all you know all about the Collin Kaepernick kneeling for the anthem situation. It started a movement across a lot of different sports and polarized not only sports fans but basically everyone.But there has been a lot more than that. There was the time he wore socks in warm ups that depicted cops as pigs. He wore a shirt with Fidel Castro’s face on it and praised his education policy. He has had plenty to say about racial issues in America, he has written books, filed lawsuits against the NFL, and called the NFL “modern day slavery.” Not the best look.

We also can’t forget the open tryout he held in Atlanta that had issues with the NFL waivers and a tryout with the Raiders that apparently did not go well. He has also said in the past that he was not interested in being a backup QB. But, Collin Kaepernick seems to have been doing just fine since his last snap in the NFL. He was awarded a settlement from the league, published books, and made a deal with Nike. But now he wants another chance.

Can He Still Play?

Let’s look at the biggest hurdle here. Collin Kaepernick is 35 years old and hasn’t played a snap of football since 2016. 35 years old is nearing the end of a career for somebody who hasn’t been out of the game that long. But I guess you could try to make the argument that he hasn’t had the wear and tear of NFL hits so maybe that adds some to the tank. There have been a handful of players who have gone 3 years between NFL stints, notably Deion Sanders.

There are even two players who came back after 4 years, Roger Staubach and Chad Hennings due to military service. And I did find one instance of a player coming back after six years just like Kaepernick is attempting. Who could forget fullback Bronko Nagurski’s comeback in 1943 after last playing in 1937?

Let’s be real. Kaepernick more than likely is not cut out for the NFL anymore. It’s just been too long. And it’s not like he was the best player in the world even when he was in the NFL. In six seasons he had a touchdown to interception ratio of 72 to 30 with 12,271 passing yards. He did add on another 2,300 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns. Certainly not terrible but not lighting the league on fire either.

But you can’t ignore that he started in a Super Bowl and only lost by 3 points to the Ravens with Joe Flacco. Who we all know is elite. Maybe they even win that game if the lights don’t go out. And he did have an unreal game that day.

Should The Jets Do It?

So can Kaepernick still play? I don’t want to be a doubter but I find it highly unlikely. Too many years and too much baggage. But I will say, I hope I’m wrong. I genuinely want to see this happen. So should the Jets sign him? Why the hell not. Just do it. Your season was over four plays into the year. Your quarterback is just awful.

The media is all over this team for how bad they are with Zach Wilson, Give them something else to talk about. When it comes to the NFL I have to assume having story lines and media coverage translates to dollars. It quite literally can’t get much worse for the Jets. And who cares if it does. Do it for us watching.

Give Him A Shot

Not to get into the politics of it all, but I really think everybody made way too big of a deal about Kaepernick and his protests in the NFL. Probably not the way I would have gone about it, but I’m also not in his position. And honestly who gives a fuck. I think all of that was way overblown and if he can play, I say give him the opportunity.

Straight up, this season has started out pretty boring , give the fans something to talk about. I’m sure there will be odds soon on if Collin Kaepernick will actually play, and when they are I’ll give you a pick because I am the hottest gambler alive. See that segue to get you to read another one of my posts? Fucking nailed it. Anyway, let Kaepernick play. Follow on twitter and tell me what you think.