Pittsburgh Steelers former linebacker, Terence Garvin had some harsh words recently for quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick, who played for the San Francisco 49ers, hasn't taken a snap in the NFL for seven years. However, his lack of field time is not for a lack of trying.
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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick became a polarizing figure in the NFL.
Kaepernick left the NFL embroiled in controversy in 2017. After a promising start to his career, including a trip to the NFC Championship at the end of the 2013 season, the 49ers gave him a six-year contract worth $126 million. However, his production seemed to decline as the offense changed and they failed to make it to the 2014 playoffs.
After suffering a few injuries that required surgery, and missing some of the season as well as the hiring of a new coach, Kaepernick was told they planned to release him. He became a free agent at the start of 2017 and remained unsigned.
For Kaepernick not being signed wasn't as simple as some injuries or inconsistencies in his playing. He had made on-field political statements that created division in the league and the nation. He believes he was blackballed by the NFL and the owners for his political activism.
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Colin Kaepernick, right, and Eric Reid of the San Francisco 49ers kneel in protest during the National Anthem before playing the Los Angeles Rams on September 12, 2016.
As the "Black Lives Matter" campaign was gaining momentum, Kaepernick took to social media to express his opinions regarding the fatal police shootings. When the season began he stopped standing for "The Star-Spangled Banner" as is the tradition in the NFL, choosing instead to sit or kneel.
Kaepernick's protests caused widespread disagreement among NFL fans, some who agreed with what he did and others who felt like he disrespected the country, military, and police. Whether Kaepernick was "blackballed" or not by the NFL, the fact remains that he has been unable to get a contract with any NFL team. After filing a "collusion" grievance against the NFL, Kaepernick was offered a settlement of an undisclosed amount.
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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris.
He has worked out with several NFL teams to no avail. That has led to him staging private workouts, hoping to generate interest. His latest workout, held at Nike headquarters, included several highly respected NFL players including CeeDee Lamb, Jaylen Waddle, Derrick Henry, and the Steelers' own Najee Harris.
Former Steelers LB Terence Garvin And Arthur Moats React to Kaepernick Working Out With Pros
Terence Garvin and Arthur Moats were both linebackers for the Steelers and Moats now hosts a podcast called The Arthur Moats Experience. On a recent episode, with Garvin as a guest, they discussed Kaepernick trying to break back into the league.
Garvin feels that Nike mandated their players participate in this exercise with Kaepernick. Nike gets publicity and Kaepernick gets a chance to make some film with professional players.
"Follow the tea leaves," said Moats. "Follow the money."
They felt that the settlement should have prohibited him from continuing to try to do this. Garvin said in his estimation there are just too many young quarterbacks out there for a team to take a chance on someone who has been sitting for several years.
"It passes you by, the game is young, every year there is fresh talent. How do I take a dude that hasn't been out here playing in game when I can go get a USFL or an XFL guy? I can get a dude who's ballin' in Canada. At least they have been using live bullets."
Garvin prides himself on his ability to be able to see both the player's side of situations and the owner's side of situations. He feels there is just no upside in his return for owners. Football is a business and they don't want to lose paying fans.
The Arthur Moats Experience
The Pittsburgh Steelers' defense including Arthur Moats, Ryan Shazier, and Terence Garvin.
Regardless of where owners stand on Kaepernick, it is likely they would take a financial hit if they signed him because he has become such a polarizing figure. When Kaepernick sat for the anthem, there were many fans who said they would no longer watch or support the sport if it continued. Now with this situation having settled down, they both feel no owner is going to be willing to dredge it back up.
"You're the franchise quarterback, you can't be leading the protests. I know your mission is pure, we even respect that. It's just not what we are looking for with this business," said Moats.
While he respects the cause Kaepernick supports, Garvin said he is just a realist. Kaepernick led the protests before and the NFL owners are not going to let him come back and poke that hornet's nest again. He said it doesn't matter which side of the issue you are on, the NFL looks at their bottom line and they were impacted.
"Teams were impacted," said Garvin. " I was on the Seahawks and we fell out of that."
Moats agrees, reminding Garvin that there was fallout among the Steelers too. He added that it would be different if Kaepernick was a top-five quarterback. If you're that good, then owners will overlook almost anything. But in this situation, the risk outweighs the reward. Garvin said it is time for Kaepernick to move on and sent a final hard message to the quarterback.
"The senior prom was six years ago bro. It's over bro. It's over. You still trying to be the prom queen. It's a wrap."
What do you think about Kaepernick still working out? Do you think Nike "forced" the other players to work out with him? Are you surprised he hasn't been signed to a team? Tell us what you think, click to comment below!
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