SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES

Dori: NFL teams recognize Kaepernick is more trouble than he’s worth

Apr 13, 2018, 6:33 AM

Colin Kaepernick...

Colin Kaepernick. (AP)

(AP)

I’m really surprised by an ESPN report that the Seahawks were considering bringing Colin Kaepernick in again for a workout. According to the report, the Seahawks contacted Kaepernick two weeks ago but postponed the trip when Kaepernick refused to say whether he would stop kneeling during the national anthem next season.

RELATED: Seahawks postponed Kaepernick’s visit after protest discussion

It sounds very similar to what happened a year ago when the Seahawks were the only team that gave Kaepernick a workout. I believe that the Seahawks and the other 31 teams in the NFL have independently reached the same conclusion about Kaepernick — he’s way more trouble than he’s worth.

No team wants their backup quarterback to be a clown show and Kaepernick is too much of a distraction. If he just wants to play football and leave his protesting to the other days of the week, that would be fine. But the Seahawks just moved on from Michael Bennett, who was sitting for the anthem all last year, and Richard Sherman, who proved to be a divisive force. The Seahawks don’t need distractions; the last thing the Seahawks need is Colin Kaepernick’s anthem antics.

You have 32 teams that have independently arrived at the conclusion that this player brings more negatives than positives. NFL ratings are at an all-time low because the fans are sick of having politics mixed in. If he is going to insist on doing this on game day, he’s not going to have a game day platform to protest from.

You don’t want a swarm of television cameras and microphones every game with your backup quarterback. That’s not good for locker room morale — it’s someone who has decided to put himself above and before the team. And that’s the last thing that any NFL team wants. If Kaepernick wants to protest, he can do it at night or on his Tuesday off — not during the game.

RELATED: How Kaepernick’s placement as a Seahawk could hurt Seattle traffic

If you want to be an NFL player, part of one of the most competitive sports, you’ve got to be all in with that being your priority. If you’re using football as your platform for social activism, then you’re not all in as a football player.

In this case, he subtracts more than he adds. No team needs that; the Seahawks certainly don’t need that. If this report is correct, I applaud the Seahawks. Good for the Seahawks — good for ascertaining that before wasting any of the team’s time and any of Kaepernick’s time. Football is a great team sport. And when people decide that they are going to make themselves bigger and more prominent than the team, they’re not worth it.

President Donald Trump speaks about Dulles International Airport modernization, in the Oval Office ...

Associated Press

The Latest: US and Iran trade strikes as hopes dim for a quick resolution

The U.S. and Iran each fired barrages of missiles Thursday, as the pattern of back-and-forth strikes took hold again and hope dimmed for any quick resolution. After a brief respite, the risk of a return to all-out war emerged once more, with the fighting threatening to engulf even more countries. Jordan said Thursday it intercepted […]

3 minutes ago

sr 99 fatal crash lynnwood wsp...

MyNorthwest Staff

Fatal crash blocks southbound SR 99 near Lynnwood, no ETA for reopening

A fatal car crash has fully blocked southbound SR 99 early Thursday morning, the Washington State Patrol confirmed.

7 minutes ago

Blue Angels...

Chris Sullivan

Want to catch the Blue Angels from a new angle? Hop on the light rail

The Blue Angels will take to the skies for Seafair, and for the first time, there will be light rail trains rolling across I-90.

37 minutes ago

President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, salute as a U.S. Army carry team move...

Associated Press

How views on Trump’s handling of Iran have shifted, according to a new AP-NORC poll

WASHINGTON (AP) — Most Americans say the war in Iran has not been worth fighting, and President Donald Trump’s approval rating on Iran has fallen slightly since last month, according to a new AP-NORC poll. The results are a stark repudiation of Trump’s approach to the conflict, which has dragged on far longer than he […]

4 hours ago

This undated photo taken and provided by Sumit Rai shows his son, Nathaniel, 10, who was the one re...

Associated Press

Father of boy rescued from pounding California surf says he is beyond grateful to teen lifeguard

The father of a 10-year-old rescued from pounding surf off the California coast in a dramatic scene captured on video says he is beyond grateful to the teenage lifeguard who saved his son. “He ran into that water despite those conditions that are deadly. You have 10 foot waves; you have riptides and currents coming […]

6 hours ago

shon barnes katie wilson seattle police chief...

Frank Sumrall

Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes fired by Mayor Katie Wilson

Shon Barnes was fired from his position as chief of the Seattle Police Department by Mayor Katie Wilson, multiple sources confirmed with KIRO Newsradio.

7 hours ago

Dori: NFL teams recognize Kaepernick is more trouble than he’s worth