"Great this guy is using Kaepernick to boost ticket sales" - NFL fans react to news of Raiders' willingness to onboard Colin Kaepernick
Free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick could be back in the NFL soon with the Las Vegas Raiders. The organization's owner, Mark Davis, appeared on NBC Sports’ Race in America: A Candid Conversation and said that if the Raiders personnel wanted to bring Kaepernick in, he would welcome the quarterback with "open arms".
The great news for the 34-year-old is that after years of being out of the NFL system, he could potentially have a genuine shot at returning to the league.
However, as expected, the news has had mixed reactions across the NFL landscape. A Twitter user named Mark Henry claimed that Davis is using the quarterback to boost ticket sales.
"Great… this guy is using Kaepernick to boost ticket sales."
@OccupyDemocrats Great… this guy is using Kaepernick to boost ticket sales.
He hasn’t played in 5 seasons, almost 6, he has a career completion rate below 60%. He went 11 - 24 the last three seasons he played & 28 - 30 overall. If you’re any QB & lose that many NFL games… you’re out of a job
A fan named Cathy posted that she loves Kaepernick and what he took a knee for.
@OccupyDemocrats @grantstern Love Colin, love what he knelt for ♥️♥️♥️
Excellent job LVRaiders🖤 https://t.co/iJ8jVTDzKm
Another user said to give the 34-year-old a break and let him play.
@OccupyDemocrats I mean the guy is better than at least 7-10 current NFL starting quarterbacks. Give the guy a break and let him play. He may even be better than Carr. Knee or no knee, dude can play.
One Twitter user congratulated the quarterback, saying it's a long time coming.
@OccupyDemocrats Congratulations to Kaepernick! Long time coming.
Another NFL fan named Carol said she was so happy for the former 49er and that it was about time he got a chance.
@OccupyDemocrats I am so happy for Colin Kaepernick about time.
One NFL fan, who isn't a supporter of the Raiders, said that they applaud Davis for giving the 34-year-old a chance.
@OccupyDemocrats Being in the Bay Area I am not a raiders fan but I applaud Davis giving Kap a chance.
Another fan named Danny Boy said it is sad it has taken so long for the quarterback to get a chance to play.
@OccupyDemocrats @csykld So sad it so long for him to get a chance to play
One Twitter user named Dina said that they were ready to become Kaepernick fans now that Drew Brees has retired.
@OccupyDemocrats I'm so ready to be a Kaepernick fan!! Now that Drew is retired I need a new quarterback to follow.
Doug Hammond replied to the tweet and said that he was proud of both the organization and the quarterback and that winning a Super Bowl would be the best revenge ever.
@OccupyDemocrats Good for them, good for him. Take 'em to the super bowl, Colin. That'll be the best revenge ever.
However, not all fans are sure the 34-year-old will get a chance, with one Twitter user saying they would wait to see what happens.
@OccupyDemocrats @CarboneSr I’ll be over here in the “wait and see what actually happens” corner.
Will Colin Kaepernick finally get a chance in the NFL?
Going by Davis' comments, there is definitely interest in bringing in the former 49ers star. However, we know all too well that having an interest in a player and signing them are two completely different things.
Being a backup to Derek Carr would not be the worst thing in the world for the free agent. It would give him something that he has longed for, a chance to be in the NFL again.
In his career, Kaepernick has thrown for 12,271, 80 touchdowns and 72 interceptions. He famously took the 49ers to Super Bowl XLVII, but they were defeated 34-31 by the Baltimore Ravens.
During the 2016 season, the quarterback chose to kneel during the national anthem in protest against racial injustice. He opted out of his contract at the end of the season and has been a free agent since.
It will certainly be a story to keep an eye on over the next couple of weeks.