Colin Kaepernick writes letter to NY Jets asking to be signed
By Justin Fried
The NY Jets have a quarterback problem, and Colin Kaepernick believes he can be a part of the solution. The former NFL quarterback released a letter he wrote to Jets general manager Joe Douglas last week about the possibility of signing with the team's practice squad.
Rapper J. Cole posted a screenshot of Kaepernick's letter, dated Sep. 21 of this year, to his Instagram on Tuesday. The letter details how Kaepernick believes he can provide value to the Jets.
Kaepernick attests that his training schedule has remained the same even while he's been out of the league. His argument was essentially that bringing him in is a low-risk, high-reward opportunity.
The Jets are expected to sign veteran quarterback Trevor Siemian to their practice squad after he reportedly passed a physical with the team on Tuesday. The expectation is that Siemian will be promoted to their active roster in the near future.
Don't expect the NY Jets to entertain Colin Kaepernick's proposal
A second-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers in the 2011 NFL Draft, Kaepernick started 58 games over six seasons in the NFL. He found his most success with the 49ers in 2013 when he helped lead his team to an NFC Championship Game.
Of course, that was a decade ago at this point. Kaepernick has not appeared in an NFL game since the 2016 season — nearly seven years ago. While he insists his training schedule has remained the same, it's hard to imagine he's anywhere close to the player he was in 2016.
Kaepernick was a fringe starting quarterback when he was last in the NFL. That's certainly better than the options currently at the Jets' disposal, Siemian included, but this is a man who turns 36 years old in November and hasn't played a down of organized football in seven years.
The Jets likely aren't going to seriously consider Kaepernick's proposal, even if the risk is low. Siemian was their veteran addition. The team could also still make a more high-profile move as the trade deadline approaches.
As for Kaepernick, it's unlikely the Jets give him the opportunity he is seeking.