Colin Kaepernick Salary Demands Too High? Disgraced QB Wants $9 Million Per Year


Colin Kaepernick’s salary demands are in the $9-10 million per year range, an absurd amount of money for a middling quarterback with considerable baggage, CBS Sports is reporting.

Amid the current NFL off-season free-agent signing frenzy, other quarterbacks of Kaepernick’s caliber, such as Mark Sanchez, Josh McCown, and Brock Osweiler, have all found jobs recently. However, Kaepernick, who four years ago led the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl, remains unemployed.

ESPN writer Dan Graziano points out that a “confluence of events” are keeping Kaepernick from getting a job.

The National Anthem Controversy

It may not be the only thing keeping him from getting a job, but it’s probably the biggest: Kaepernick, as you are no-doubt aware, famously began refusing to stand for the national anthem back during the 2016-2016 NFL pre-season, taking a knee during the performance rather standing with his hand over his heart.

Kaepernick later explained that this was a form of protest against police brutality.

Unfortunately for Colin, his protest was not well-received, to say the least, angering fans, teammates, even Donald Trump, who at the time was campaigning for president. Worst, though, Kaepernick angered NFL owners, described by The New York Times as traditionally conservative, including some who are even friendly with the Trump administration.

It also cost Colin his starting job and, when the season ended, a new contract with the 49ers, leaving the former Super Bowl star an unemployed free agent.

He Wants A Starting Job

Starting quarterback jobs are few and far between in the NFL, and teams aren’t willing to gamble on a player like Kaepernick, who has been known to have issues getting along with coaches and teammates. And as more and more teams sign free agents, the number of teams with an available starting quarterback job, says CBS Sports’ Will Brinson, keeps getting smaller.

“If Kaepernick is set on finding a starting job, he is going to be out of luck. The Texans, Jets, Browns and 49ers are teams that need starting quarterbacks. You can force the Broncos in there, but they have Paxton Lynch, who they drafted in the first round last year. We can probably rule out the 49ers.”

That leaves Cleveland, coming off of the failed RGIII experiment, but even the Browns may consider Kaepernick too much of a liability as a starter, especially considering the amount of money he wants.

He Wants Too Much Money

Multiple sources close to the NFL and Kaepernick report that his salary demand is in the $9- to $10-million-per-year range, which is an almost absurd amount of money for a quarterback who a) has baggage, and b) isn’t a marquee quarterback. His stats, says ESPN’s Pat McManamon, just don’t bear out that kind of money.

“His career completion percentage is 59.8, his QB rating is 88.9 and his Total QBR is 64.9. Those rankings are in the middle of the pack among NFL quarterbacks since he’s been in the league. He also has been sacked 171 times, 14th-highest in his NFL years.”

Rebuilding His Image?

For his part, Kaepernick has been trying to put the events of the past year behind him. He’s vowed to end his protest and go back to standing during the national anthem, and last week he made two generous donations, one to Meals on Wheels and one to a Somali aid group.

Whether or not the new-and-improved Colin Kaepernick will be able to get the salary he wants, or even an NFL job at all, remains to be seen.

[Featured Image by Joe Robbins/Getty Images]

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