If you view the NFL as a meritocracy, Colin Kaepernick should have a roster spot somewhere.
If you view the NFL as a microcosm of what seems an increasingly polarized society, then your opinion of Kaepernick's employment status is likely reflective of broader beliefs.
As with most Kap-based matters, the answers are rarely cut and dried. And even when it comes to the notion of potentially resuming his career, there's much to sift through.
Kaepernick was a second-round pick in 2011, led the 49ers to Super Bowl XLVII the next year and was a dynamic dual threat who featured an elite arm and deer-like, open-field dashes. Yet he was never especially accurate, and his development as a pocket passer plateaued under Jim Harbaugh before regressing under subsequent San Francisco head coaches Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly.
More: Colin Kaepernick and Nike both won with their new ad, even if little will immediately change
More: Colin Kaepernick's new 'Just Do it' Nike ad puts pressure on NFL to take a stand
After six NFL seasons, here's Kaepernick's résumé:
► A 4-2 playoff record, impressive on one level yet also mirroring Mark Sanchez, who, like Kaepernick, was surrounded by an elite supporting cast early in his career but watched it degrade after he got a big contract and failed to progress into a franchise QB.
► 59.8% career completion rate, which would've ranked Kaepernick 27th (between Andy Dalton and Mitch Trubisky) among qualifying quarterbacks in 2017.
► 88.9 career passer rating, a solid enough figure which would've ranked Kaepernick 17th (between Tyrod Taylor and Dak Prescott) among qualifying quarterbacks in 2017.
► 177.8 passing yards per game (career average), which would've ranked Kaepernick 32nd (between Trubisky and Brett Hundley) last year.
► Over his final five seasons, when he typically started, Kaepernick averaged 34.9 rushing yards per game, which projects to 558 over a full season; last season, that would have trailed only Cam Newton (754) and Russell Wilson (586) among quarterbacks.
► Zero Pro Bowl berths.
► Maybe most telling, Kaepernick's record as a starter is 28-30 (17-6 with two playoff trips from 2012-13, but 11-24 and no playoffs from 2014-16).
Source: Read Full Article