Former Washington Redskins quarterback and Super Bowl MVP Doug Williams hinted at the political atmosphere in D.C. as the reason his former team did not sign Colin Kaepernick.
Williams pointed out the number of military personnel–paired with President Trump in the White House–could have made for a “tough” situation both for team and player (via Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk):
“I think what happened here, we’re in a heavily, heavily military area,” Williams said on The Dan Patrick Show on Friday, via NBCSportsWashington.com. “And I think the guy that sits on Pennsylvania Avenue — 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue — made such a big stink of it, the fans in this area . . . might’ve been a tough situation for both the team and [Kaepernick].”
Indeed, Trump had a pretty visceral reaction to Kaepernick's decision to kneel during the national anthem in protest of police brutality. He encouraged NFL owners to “get that son of a b—- off the field” in reference to any player choosing to kneel in protest.
Moreover, it is unlikely Redskins management would have ever approved of signing Kaepernick. After all, owner Dan Snyder was one of the largest Trump donors in the country.
Kaepernick remains unsigned, and it is unknown whether he will get another opportunity in the NFL. For his part, Williams understands battling with hardship.
Williams had been a backup entering the 1987 season, but was eventually thrust into a starting role. He went 0-2 during the regular season, but led the Redskins to the Super Bowl–becoming the first African American quarterback to start in the Big Game. Williams then rolled to MVP honors in a 42-10 victory over the Denver Broncos.
But Williams has also not been afraid to speak his mind on race relations in the NFL. The way he sees it, a partnership between Kaepernick and the Redskins might have made for a potentially explosive situation.
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