Colin Kaepernick is one of the better options in a weak market for NFL quarterbacks. However, he’s attracted little interest since opting out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers back on March 3.
Joe Thomas thinks Colin Kaepernick’s off-field distractions have kept him from being signed
The All-Pro offensive tackle took to Twitter to opine on the former 49ers quarterback.
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
One Pro Bowl standby with a history of working with veteran free agent passers thinks he knows why. Cleveland Browns left tackle Joe Thomas took to Twitter Saturday to share his thoughts on the situation.
He went on to explain his stance and just what constitutes a distraction for an NFL locker room Sunday morning.
Thomas also responded to a comment from former NFL quarterback Sage Rosenfels, who pointed out the “distraction” in this case was Kaepernick’s conviction to stand for a cause in which he believes. He was open-minded enough to let his Twitter followers voice their opinions on whether or not the San Francisco passer was a detriment to his team in 2016.
As the best player on the league’s worst team, Thomas knows something about struggling quarterbacks. The nine-time All-Pro has spent his entire career in Cleveland, where he’s been the caretaker for a quarterback crypt that’s included former starters like Derek Anderson, Jake Delhomme, Jason Campbell, Josh McCown, and, most recently, Robert Griffin III. The Browns currently lack a franchise quarterback for 2017, as their current depth chart includes Cody Kessler, Brock Osweiler, and Kevin Hogan.
A player like Kaepernick could certainly help Cleveland, but as Thomas points out, the former 49er’s activism has him labeled, unfairly or not, as a potential locker room distraction. His pregame protests of the national anthem garnered weekly coverage last fall, even after he started the 2016 season on the bench behind Blaine Gabbert. His profile as an outspoken advocate for several issues facing the American public has kept him in the spotlight even during the offseason.
Teams may no longer view him as a starting talent, but Kaepernick’s numbers suggest he was one of the league’s top 20 passers last fall. He didn’t rack up huge numbers — just over 225 total yards per game — but minimized turnovers in his best season since 2013. What’s more impressive is that he did so on a talent-devoid San Francisco team. His top wide receiver, Jeremy Kerley, had made just 16 receptions in 16 games the year prior.
Kaepernick is just 29 years old, has led his team to a Super Bowl, and graded out in the upper tier of an underwhelming crop of free agent quarterbacks. However, he’s been on the market for more than three weeks as teams appear to have little interest in the dynamic dual-threat passer. That’s left the outspoken passer in the NFL’s no-man’s land, lending credence to Thomas’s theory about his future.
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