NFL Rumors: Colin Kaepernick Pursuing Comeback With New York Jets

One of the NFL's most fascinating icons is still hoping to return to the game that spurned him. Earlier today, rapper J.Cole shared a letter from former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick to the New York Jets, in which Kaepernick makes a humble plea for an opportunity to join the Jets' practice squad.

J.Cole shared Colin Kaepernick's letter to the Jets

He's looking to join the Jets practice squad 🙌

(via realcoleworld/IG) pic.twitter.com/u0Kms3WUNy
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) September 26, 2023

Kaepernick has been out of the NFL since 2016, the season in which he famously began kneeling during the national anthem as a protest against the oppression and abuse of people of color in the United States. The Jets, notably, are in need of quarterback depth following a Week 1 injury to starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Kaepernick has attempted multiple comebacks since falling out of the league, conducting workouts with several teams, but he has never been signed since opting out of his contract with the 49ers in March of 2017. Kaepernick filed a grievance against the NFL in October of that year, accusing owners of freezing him out. He and the NFL eventually settled their dispute.

Kaepernick's willingness to do the dirty and unglamorous work of latching onto a practice squad is an admirable display of humility and grit, but now at 35 years old, it's very unlikely he'll be afforded a chance to revive his NFL career. Even when he was last on the field in 2016, he was arguably a declining player. He won only one of 11 starts in his final year, and the 49ers ranked 25th or worse in points scored in each of his final three seasons.

A return to the NFL in any capacity would be a heroic and triumphant achievement for Kaepernick, but ultimately, it would take an act of true daring and generosity from a team for him to get a chance at this point. No matter what happens, Kaepernick should be proud. Even if he never plays a down again, he will forever be remembered, discussed, and appreciated as one of the truly important athletes of his generation.