Colin Kaepernick, who has not played an NFL game since 2017 is appealing directly to Jets general manager Joe Douglas to sign him to the team’s practice squad.
In a letter shared on social media by musician J. Cole, Kaepernick reached out to the Jets’ GM last week explaining why he hoped the organization would give him a chance with the practice squad.
Kaepernick, 35, explained that he would help give the defense an added advantage in preparing for Week 4, 5 and 6 matchups, while also give the team a chance to evaluate him without pressuring Zach Wilson.
“I would be honored and extremely grateful for the opportunity to come in and lead the practice squad,” Kaepernick wrote. “I would do this with the sole mission of getting your defense ready each week. If I were able to fill this role, I believe this allows for multiple things.”
It’s been no secret that the Jets have struggled with Wilson as the No. 1 quarterback since Aaron Rodgers went down with an Achilles injury just four plays into Week 1.
The Jets have dropped consecutive games since and Wilson has looked far from comfortable trying to lead the team.
During Sunday’s loss to the Patriots, Wilson had one good drive late in the game, but otherwise failed to get much going for the offense.
It led to criticism from several directions, including from former Jets QB and Hall-of-Famer Joe Namath.
In his letter, Kaepernick said that he would “only look to boost” the confidence of Wilson in any interaction that he had with the former first-round pick.
He also wrote that in a perfect world, Wilson would find the confidence and rhythm to lead the Jets to a Super Bowl.
But added that bringing him into the fold would give the Jets a “risk-free contingency plan.”
“Worst case scenario, you see what I have to offer and you’re not that impressed,” he wrote. “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 responsibility like a badge of honor.”
Kaepernick hasn’t suited up in an NFL game since Jan. 1, 2017 with the San Francisco 49ers, but told Sports Illustrated earlier this year that he was still training 5-6 days a week in hopes of catching on with a team.
The Jets signed quarterback Trevor Siemian to their practice squad on Tuesday..
If the Jets were to consider Kaepernick’s offer, the decision to do so would likely be weighed with what he adds on the field along with the headlines it could generate away from it.
Kaepernick has been widely outspoken about racial injustice and police brutality in the United States and made headlines for kneeling in protest during the national anthem when he was with the 49ers.
A team has not signed him since the 2016 season and he alleged that NFL owners were colluding to keep him out of the league.
He filed a grievance against the NFL in 2017 and settled in 2019.
During the course of his career, Kaepernick completed 59.8 percent of his passes with 72 touchdowns and 30 interceptions, while adding 2,300 yards on the ground.