in NFL National Football League

Colin Kaepernick is Back!

Dust off those knees Colin Kaepernick and fluff out that Afro, because the camera is about to be on you for actual football-related reasons. The San Francisco 49ers announced just a few minutes ago that Kaepernick will get the start Sunday when the team hosts the Buffalo Bills in Santa Clara.

The move comes after another abysmal start by Blaine Gabbert in a 33-21 loss to the Arizona Cardinals last Thursday. Gabbert’s numbers don’t tell the story of how terrible he actually was since most of his key stats were accumulated in garbage time with the game was already decided. As it was, the Gabbster went 18-for-31 for 162 yards, one touchdown, two picks with 10 rushes for 70 yards and a score. Gabby only crossed 200 yards passing in one game this season, a 46-27 loss to the Carolina Panthers in week two.

For those of us who asked aloud, how could Kaepernick could be any worse, we’re about to find out.

Kaepernick himself seems to have spurred this by agreeing to restructure his contract this week. The reports of the new deal voids the final four years of the contract and removes any injury guarantees. Those guarantees in the old contract are what kept Kaepernick on the bench. If he’d played and gotten hurt, the 49ers would have been unable to cut him after the season.

Kap’s never been a smart man, but he’s got some smart people advising him, even to the detriment of his team. Last year when he got hurt, he held off on his surgery just so San Francisco would be unable to cut him in the offseason without paying him his full $15.89 million salary.

If the 49ers had played him again under the old contract, and he’d gotten hurt, they’d be stuck with him again for another season (or at least forced to pay him). This new contract should fix all that.

All this finally gives us actual sports-related reasons to talk about Kaepernick, considering he’s been a fixture in the news feed since the third week of the preseason. Even Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg weighed in on Kap during her interview with Katie Couric this week.

When asked about Kaepernick’ and other NFL players performing a kneel-down protest, Ginsburg said, “I think it’s really dumb of them. Would I arrest them for doing it? No. I think it’s dumb and disrespectful. I would have the same answer if you asked me about flag burning. I think it’s a terrible thing to do, but I wouldn’t lock a person up for doing it. I would point out how ridiculous it seems to me to do such an act.”

I had a couple of thoughts on Kaepernick’s protests and none have anything to do with respect. The first was, he was probably damaging his NFL earning potential and possible future job offers when the 49ers cut him loose. NFL owners are very conservative and signing a player seen as divisive, especially as a potential back-up, isn’t high on the agenda.

The second is I support his right to protest and the message completely, I just wish Kaepernick wasn’t the guy that started this dialogue. CBS Sports’ Jim Brown said it best before Thursday Night’s 49ers-Cardinals game, “The message is a real one. The vessel may not be the best one.”

The irony of the whole Kaepernick playing situation is that in hiring Chip Kelly, the 49ers basically showed in the offseason they were all in on their QB albatross. Pretty much every sportswriter and expert, including me, figured this would be Kap’s only chance to resurrect his career. Kaepernick, of course, wouldn’t have that and spent the entire offseason demanding a trade even though his selfish choice to hold off on his surgery last season kept that from happening.

Kaepernick’s career declined as NFL defenses adapted to the read-option offense teams like the 49ers, Seahawks, Redskins and Panthers ran so well in 2012-2013. In response, Russell Wilson and Cam Newton became even better players, utilizing their athletic gifts to accentuate their NFL quarterback play and get their teams deep into the playoffs and make Super Bowl runs. Kaepernick an Robert Griffin III couldn’t adapt, couldn’t learn to make their pass progressions and both struggled. There’s a good chance that both guys won’t even be in the NFL next season.

But this is Kaepernick’s chance at redemption. Kelly is the last coach on the read-option train and he’s ready to drive it off a cliff. There’s no reason Kaepernick can’t be at the controls when it happens.

Written by Adam Greene

Adam Greene is a writer and photographer based out of East Tennessee. His work has appeared on Cracked.com, in USA Today, the Associated Press, the Chicago Cubs Vineline Magazine, AskMen.com and many other publications.

Early Report on Breeders’ Cup Players

It’s Time to Start Jared Goff