Up Next
Colin Kaepernick says he’s ready to play; Tom Brady hopes he gets a shot
In less than two hours Sunday, Kaepernick reiterated his desire to play and received strong backing from the Patriots’ five-time Super Bowl champion
On the day Colin Kaepernick said he still wants to play in the NFL, five-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady said the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback is qualified to play and he hopes to see him back on the field.
Former New York Daily News reporter and Fair Punishment Project writer-in-residence Shaun King posted a picture of himself with Kaepernick just after 11 a.m. Sunday, and less than 30 minutes later, quote tweeted his post explaining that he had asked the free-agent quarterback whether he wanted to continue playing in the NFL.
“Yes,” Kaepernick said emphatically, according to King. “I’ve never stopped. I’m ready right now. Working out daily.”
I asked Colin, "Do you want to play football?"
His answer: An emphatic "Yes. I've never stopped. I'm ready right now. Working out daily." https://t.co/5UF9wnLaGT
— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) September 17, 2017
Spent a few hours with Colin – talking life, family, food, activism, education, protest, & football.
A warm, kind, genuine soul. pic.twitter.com/lbCz9pTdPL
— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) September 17, 2017
Less than an hour later, Brady threw his support behind the Super Bowl quarterback in an exclusive interview with CBS Sunday Morning.
“I’ve always watched him and admired him. The way that he’s played he was a great young quarterback,” the New England Patriots quarterback told CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell. “He came to our stadium and beat us and took his team to the Super Bowl. He accomplished a lot in the pros as a player. And he’s certainly qualified, and I hope he gets a shot.”
Kaepernick started a national conversation about the injustices black people and people of color face in America and at the hands of police by sitting and eventually kneeling during the national anthem last season. He also has donated $900,000 of the $1 million he pledged to give to charitable organizations and advocacy groups last October.
Kaepernick opted out of his contract in March. Two weeks into the NFL season, he has visited with only one team, the Seattle Seahawks in May. The Baltimore Ravens discussed bringing in Kaepernick in July after starter Joe Flacco suffered an injury. Thirty-seven quarterbacks have signed with NFL teams since Kaepernick became a free agent.
Pro Football Talk reported Sunday that some Cincinnati Bengals players would like the team to consider signing Kaepernick. The Bengals have not scored a touchdown in their first two games, and starter Andy Dalton has struggled. A.J. McCarron is Dalton’s backup. The Bengals’ front office has not expressed interest in Kaepernick.
Last month, Super Bowl-winning quarterback Aaron Rodgers said it would be ignorant to believe Kaepernick is being held out of the league for anything other than his national anthem protest.