In a reasonably large surprise, Colin Kaepernick and the NFL settled their long-standing grievance case over the weekend with only the barest whiff of a mention from legal teams. As a result, not only does Kaepernick’s lawyer believe he’ll be given a long-awaited NFL lifeline within the next two weeks, but that it could come from the most unlikely of sources: the New England Patriots. Really mull that one over for a hot second.
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Kaepernick’s case against the NFL – filed in conjunction with former San Francisco teammate Eric Reid – alleged that league administration and team ownership had colluded to keep him out of the NFL after his leading role in the Black Lives Matter movement, and kneeling national anthem protests, drew the ire of feckless conservative blowhards including, but not limited to, the President of the United States.
On Saturday though, that lawsuit was settled with a joint statement delivered through gritted teeth that merely read “the parties have decided to resolve the pending grievances,” adding only “there will be no further comment.”
Following that, Kaepernick’s legal counsel has suggested that the door is now wide open for a return to the NFL field for the quarterback, who has not played a professional game since the end of the 2016 regular season.
Attorney Mark Geragos spoke to CNN following the settlement, and speculated that a spot on an NFL roster could be offered to Kaepernick in as little as two weeks, and it could come from one of three teams, including the seemingly unlikely Patriots.
Geragos named the Carolina Panthers as the most likely destination for Kaepernick, but also suggested New England owner Robert Kraft could be interested in bringing Kaepernick back into the league. Despite… y’know, everything else about the Patriots.
I’m gonna make a bold prediction that one of three teams picks him up. If Cam Newton is out, then the natural place to be is to play with [Eric Reid] in Carolina. I mean, can you imagine?
I will tell you, besides the Panthers, it would not surprise me if Bob Kraft makes a move. That would not surprise me. And it would not surprise me if his former coach also makes a move. He wants to compete at the highest level. This is a competitive young man.
The third side, who Geragos did not mention, is the Seattle Seahawks, who have previously worked Kaepernick out during his absence from the league.
A Kaepernick move to the Patriots would present as the most wild turn of events in recent NFL history, given Tom Brady‘s status as a card-carrying, MAGA hat-wearing member of Team Trump who has maintained a close personal relationship with the President, a relationship that coach Bill Bellichick also shares.
Kraft, however, founded REFORM Alliance last month alongside Jay-Z, Meek Mill, and a raft of others in a bid to seek criminal justice reform in the United States. So read into that what you will.
Either way, an NFL with Colin Kaepernick in it is significantly better than an NFL without him. So any lifeline that comes his way will arrive not a moment too soon.
