Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick sent a letter to the New York Jets general manager asking to be placed on the team’s practice squad, rapper J. Cole shared Tuesday.
Kaepernick, 35, has not played in the NFL since 2016 after being controversially let go after he became the face of racial justice protests in the league. Many believe he was blackballed by the league’s owners for his political work because less successful players retained jobs as quarterbacks in the NFL.
J. Cole shared a copy of the letter Kaepernick sent to the Jets last week, which outlines Kaepernick’s argument for joining the team after star quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered a season-ending Achilles tear just four snaps into the season.
Kaepernick did not request to be the backup to quarterback Zach Wilson, but instead to join the team’s practice squad — a group of 16 players not on the team’s full roster but used almost exclusively in practice sessions, usually comprising undrafted free agents and developmental players.
“I would be honored and extremely grateful for the opportunity to come in and lead the practice squad. I would do this with the sole mission of getting your defense ready each week,” Kaepernick wrote in the letter.
Kaepernick has repeatedly sought to rejoin the NFL since his release by the 49ers after the 2016 season, trying out for multiple teams but never receiving a contract offer. He sued the NFL over an alleged blackball scheme in 2017 and settled for an undisclosed amount.
“In a perfect world for the Jets, Zach Wilson finds his stride and shows that he is able to lead this championship caliber team that you’ve put together to the Super Bowl. I believe a confident Zach Wilson has the tools to do this,” Kaepernick said. “However, in the event that this is not the case, I would love to offer you a risk-free contingency plan.”
The Jets are 1-2 so far this season and have played poorly with Wilson at quarterback, sparking calls to replace him with another veteran at the position after Rodgers went down. On Tuesday, the Jets signed veteran quarterback Trevor Siemian to their practice squad.