The Philadelphia Eagles are still agonizing over the recent loss of their star quarterback Carson Wentz due to a torn ACL.
Wentz’ backup, Nick Foles, has been named the team’s starter moving forward. But this announcement didn’t stop several sports reporters and columnists from suggesting the team needed to bring in the now exiled Colin Kaepernick. Following his departure from the San Francisco 49ers in March of this year, Kaepernick has been unable to get a job with a NFL team. Everyone knows Kaepernick’s protest against police brutality and the oppression of African-Americans during the national anthem is the reason why.
Will he land in Philly. Probably not. Here’s why:
1) Eagles’ owner Jeffrey Lurie never cared for Kaepernick’s protest and denied he was ever blackballed by the NFL
This season, Eagles owner, Jeffrey Lurie, said he supported individuals that work to “reverse social injustice” and even locked arms with Eagles players to rebuff Donald Trump’s Twitter attack against NFL players. When Lurie was asked about Kaepernick and his protests during anthem, however, he stated:
“I don’t think anybody who is protesting the national anthem … is very respectful. If that’s all their platform is, is to protest the national anthem, then what’s the proactive nature of it? It has to be respectful….It certainly has to respect the military and the people that serve, the women and men that serve our country, emergency responders, whoever that is.”
It seems that Lurie mistook Kaepernick’s protest against racial injustice as a protest against the American flag and all it stands for.
2) Nick Foles is no Carson Wentz – but is capable
Although Kaepernick appears to have been blacklisted from the NFL as teams employ backup quarterbacks with lesser skills and talent, the Eagles have a seasoned backup QB in Nick Foles.
Colin Kaepernick and other experienced QBs may sound like the optimal choice, but Foles is more than prepared to take on this challenge and has done so for this franchise before. In 2013, Foles replaced another injured quarterback, Michael Vick, and led the Eagles to the NFC East division title.
Though the Eagles lost to the New Orleans Saints in the playoffs that year, Foles went on to the Pro Bowl and won MVP. He also tied an NFL record by throwing seven touchdown passes in a single game. These accomplishments came early in Foles’ career and as a six-year veteran; Foles has the experience and wherewithal to replace Carson Wentz.
3) Kaepernick’s grievance against NFL – all but ending his career
In October, Colin Kaepernick filed a grievance against the NFL, accusing league owners of collusion. Kaepernick and his legal team allege that NFL owners violated the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, which prohibits teams from working together concerning the employment status of a player.
Despite Commissioner Goodell’s insistence that Kaepernick is not being “blackballed” he will still be deposed in Kapernick’s lawsuit and will have to turn over emails and cell phone records relating to the collusion case against the NFL.
Despite the fact that over a dozen employed quarterbacks are worse than Kaepernick (some quarterbacks were literally called out of retirement), the collusion case all but guarantees that NFL owners will want nothing to do with the embattled quarterback ever again. We will see if the collusion case bears any fruit – but it is safe to say that Colin won’t be getting any calls anytime soon.
4) Signing Kaepernick Would Be a Distraction – Right?
The old adage – “there’s no such thing as bad publicity” – rings true in virtually every circumstance. In the case of Colin Kaepernick, however, that may not bode well for the Philadelphia Eagles at this point in their historic season. Kaepernick is more than deserving of a spot on an NFL team and his pursuit of social justice for underserved people of color should not inhibit that goal.
The Eagles have already won their division and will most likely want to stay the course as much as they can without Wentz. Would the addition of a beleaguered and polarizing figure be a distraction to this team? Would the media focus on the Eagles’ upcoming playoff performance or whether or not Kaepernick would be standing or kneeling for the National Anthem?
The Eagles players and coaching staff are professionals that can handle the spotlight and would not allow a media onslaught distract them from their ultimate goal of winning a Superbowl Championship. In fact, some critics believe that a “Kaepernick distraction” is a pathetic excuse for not adding a talented quarterback to roster. We may never know whether or not Kaepernick’s presence on the Eagles would be a distraction to the team.
Because they’re not going to sign him.