Colin Kaepernick may not be a member of the San Francisco 49ers for much longer, as he’s reportedly facing an “uphill battle” to remain on the roster this summer.
Jay Glazer said Colin Kaepernick faces an "uphill battle" to last on #49ers roster. "May not even be on it in the next 2 weeks."
— Evan Silva (@evansilva) August 28, 2016
The 49ers are in a sticky situation with the veteran quarterback, who opened up a tremendously controversial can of worms by refusing to stand during the national anthem in protest of injustices he perceives.
It’s something Kaepernick has done since the start of the preseason, but it was only just noticed during Week 3, which was the first time he had suited up.
The 49ers have made it clear that they respect Kaepernick’s right to protest. Head coach Chip Kelly has made it clear that he supports Kaepernick. He also said any decision made about the him will be made solely on the merits of his play on the football field.
But still, should the franchise decide to cut Kaepernick, eating his $11.9 million salary in the process, many will assume it had something to do with his controversial protest.
It shouldn’t.
Kaepernick was atrocious during his first and only action this preseason. He completed two of his six pass attempts for 14 yards, looked completely clueless as to how to run Kelly’s offense and had the yips in the pocket.
He looked, quite honestly, about as good as he looked last year when he was replaced by Blaine Gabbert.
It’s his play on the field that is the basis of his roster status, and that play is not good.
After Friday night’s game, we wrote a column detailing the many reasons — hint, it’s not all his fault — why the 49ers and Kaepernick need to part ways (read more here).
It’s time to end the charade. He wanted out before the preseason began. He asked for a trade and that didn’t work out for various reasons with various teams.
Kaepernick’s value is at an all-time low, and he quite simply isn’t one of the top 53 players on San Francisco’s roster.
With that in mind, don’t be shocked when he is released. And don’t say it was because he took a controversial stand on a controversial topic.