Colin Kaepernick apparently made a very interesting request of the New York Jets in the aftermath of the Aaron Rodgers injury.
Rapper J. Cole took to Instagram on Tuesday to post a letter that was written by Kaepernick to the Jets (dated Sept. 21). Cole, who is close friends with Kaepernick, said that he asked for Kaepernick’s permission to share the letter. Though initially reluctant, Kaepernick agreed after Cole successfully persuaded him.
The letter was addressed to Jets general manager Joe Douglas and expressed Kaepernick’s desire to join the team, not as a member of the active roster but as a part of the practice squad.
“I would be honored and extremely grateful for the opportunity to come in and lead the practice squad,” wrote Kaepernick. “I would do this with the sole mission of getting your defense ready each week … I would consider it a privilege to be able to do this and would take on this responsibility with the dedication and passion as if it were the QB1 position.”
Kaepernick added that signing him to the practice squad would allow the Jets defense to get “a truer read” on the more athletic and versatile QBs they are set to face in the coming weeks (mentioning Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson, and Jalen Hurts specifically). He also said that it would allow the Jets to “take a real look at where I’m at football wise” but without putting any “competitive pressure” on current starter QB Zach Wilson. Kaepernick noted that he believes that “a confident Zach Wilson has the tools” to lead the Jets to the Super Bowl.
“Worst case scenario, you see what I have to offer, and you’re not that interested,” the ex-49er added. “Best case scenario, you realize you have a real weapon at your disposal in the event you ever need to use it. In either of these scenarios, I would be committed to getting your defense ready week in and week out, all season long, and I would wear that responsbility as a badge of honor.”
Kaepernick then closed out his letter by emphasizing that he has never retired or stopped training (“unlike many of the veteran QBs that have been named in the media”). He said that he has continued to train from 5-8 AM (“on the field and in the weight room”) on Monday through Friday for the last six years. Finally, Kaepernick mentioned several well-known football figures as references to vouch for his “character, work ethic, and ability.” Included in that list were Jim Harbaugh and Chip Kelly (two of Kaepernick’s head coaches in San Francisco) as well as John Harbaugh (whose Baltimore Ravens considered signing Kaepernick before the 2017 season) and Mark Davis (whose Las Vegas Raiders worked Kaepernick out in May 2022).
You can read Kaepernick’s full letter (as posted by Cole) below.
Immediately after Rodgers was lost for the season with an Achilles tear suffered in the Jets’ season opener on Sept. 11, reports did indeed suggest that Kaepernick was interested in joining the team. But by Sept. 13 (over a week before Kaepernick’s letter was dated), it was revealed that the Jets were not considering him as an option.
It does not appear that the Jets are interested in Kaepernick’s practice squad proposal either as they have since gone on to sign a different veteran QB to the practice unit. Kaepernick, who turns 36 in November, still has not been on an NFL roster since the 2016 season. Despite his best efforts, it doesn’t look like that is any closer to changing.
