It has been seven years since Colin Kaepernick last played in the NFL, but he is still not giving up on his bid to play once again. However, one Hall of Famer in Warren Sapp advised the 35-year-old to just move on.
After Aaron Rodgers suffered a devastating Achilles injury that ended his season in Week 1, Kaepernick's agent reached out to the New York Jets to express their desire to make an NFL return. The Jets are expected to monitor the free agent market as they look for more QB depth behind Zach Wilson.
Kaepernick has been mentioned as a possible option for New York, though there have been serious doubts as well if he can still cut it since he last played at the highest level in 2016.
As for Sapp, he is pessimistic that Kaepernick will be given a chance to return considering that his agent's phone isn't ringing. Basically, it's clear that there isn't much interest in Kaepernick in the first place, per Jason Whitlock.
“When I was a free agent, Al Davis picked up the phone to call Rosenhaus … That’s what happens when someone thinks you can play in this league, they call your representative,” Sapp shared when explaining Kap's situation, emphasizing that his agent wouldn't have to call anyone if a player is a “commodity.”
Warren Sapp also discussed how much time Colin Kaepernick has spent outside the NFL looking in, adding that it “wasn't pretty” considering all the issues that the former quarterback has faced.
For what it's worth, it's not only Sapp who's saying that it's unlikely for anyone to sign Kap. Keyshawn Johnson recently explained on Undisputed why he thinks Kaepernick won't be given a shot at an NFL return, highlighting that there's a need for an NFL team to align their thinking to their QB.
“Seven years is a long, long time, for anybody in any sport to do anything … There's so much to unpack around Kaepernick's situation any who he is and what he is and what he stands for. …The ownership group has to align themselves with the thinking process of the quarterback … That's not gonna happen,” Johnson shared.
It remains to be seen what will happen to Kaepernick. Of course it's unlikely that he will give up on his dream to return and prove himself in the league once again. However, as Sapp and Johnson said, he needs to prepare himself as well if the opportunity he's waiting for never comes.