Colin Kaepernick was never going to get a fair shot at an NFL return

The ongoing saga involving Colin Kaepernick is both complex and sad at the same time. It is heavily rumored, though unconfirmed, that there was some sort of collusion by NFL owners to keep the quarterback out of the league. This followed his protests against racial inequality and brutality during the national anthem in 2016.

It is now 2022 and he has still not made his return. This is not due to a lack of effort on his part, for there have been several showcases and workouts where he has proven he can still throw the ball.

Enough time has passed to where NFL owners appear to have achieved their goal. At the same time, it's clear he was never given a fair shot to return to the league.

Colin Kaepernick was always at a disadvantage

Michigan Spring Game

Kaepernick was let go by the San Francisco 49ers following the 2016 season. At the time, it made sense as the team was going through a period of transition. He went 1-10 as the starter in that year and the organization needed an overhaul.

That is at least the football-centric explanation of events. The 49ers were able to use the bad record as an excuse to start over. But what about other teams around the league?

This is where the concept of collusion came into play. This was a young, mobile quarterback who had playoff and Super Bowl experience. Him not even getting a shot at competing for a job told fans all they needed to hear.

Next up was Kaepernick openly feuding with the NFL and seemingly not wanting to return. This became the perfect excuse for owners and teams to continue to ignore him.

Jumping ahead to the 2022 offseason. The quarterback posted training videos and even shared one where he was working out with Seattle Seahawks receiver Tyler Lockett. There were rumors that this would this lead to a return to the NFL.

So far, that has not happened and teams have several built-in excuses as to why. Kaepernick is now 34 years old. NFL teams are always looking for the next young star and someone who can be around for a decade or more. This is just not possible with the former 49ers signal-caller.

There is also the fact that he has been out of the NFL since the 2016 season. This was not entirely his fault, but coaches can easily say they want someone who has been around the game consistently in that span, even if they have less natural ability than Kaepernick.

The reasons for not signing him continue to tip the balance and it seems time has run out for his NFL return. The environment was unforgiving from the start and if there was any collusion between NFL owners, it seems they were successful as the 34-year-old remains unsigned.