Trump Takes Credit For Kaepernick Being Unsigned

21 Mar, 2017

Free-agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick remains unsigned and has generated little to no interest from teams across the NFL. He decided to hit the open market by opting out of his contract with the 49ers, hoping to land a more lucrative deal elsewhere.

That obviously hasn’t worked in his favor despite saying publicly that he will stand for the national anthem this upcoming season. President Donald Trump believes he knows why Kaepernick hasn’t signed with a team yet, and he shared it during a Monday night rally in Louisville, Kentucky.

“There was an article today, it was reported that NFL owners don’t want to pick him up because they don’t want to get a nasty tweet from Donald Trump,” he said. “Do you believe that? I just saw that. I said, ‘If I remember that one I’m gonna report it to the people of the Kentucky because they like it when people actually stand for the American flag.’ ”

Kaepernick, of course, made a statement last season by kneeling during the playing of the national anthem, sparking a movement from other players to do the same. Some teams locked arms, other players raised their fists, and a couple of Kaepernick’s teammates joined him in kneeling on the sideline.

Back in August, Trump made his thoughts on Kaepernick’s stance very clear. He responded to Kaepernick by calling him “openly racist” and saying this:

“I think it’s personally not a good thing. I think it’s a terrible thing. And, you know, maybe he should find a country that works better for him. Let him try. It won’t happen.”

Many believe Kaepernick remains unsigned because of his political views and actions, but he’s since ended his stance against the anthem. He’s also done work in the community, securing a plane and $1 million in aid for the needy in Somalia.

Ultimately, it’ll come down to a team being OK with the questions that will come with signing him, hoping his talent and ability will outweigh the potential backlash.

Fox Sports

Image ninersCK7 5m

Mentioned In This Post: