Is Colin Kaepernick out of the NFL just because of his protest? Akiem Hicks has a clear opinion – and cites a former Bears quarterback as an example.

The debate about Colin Kaepernick and the NFL is topical again and is much discussed.

The former 49ers quarterback has been without a team for almost three and a half years and a commitment is becoming less likely every day. The reasons for this are a matter of opinion.

Some people are convinced that Kaepernick simply doesn’t have what it takes for the NFL anymore. The others, probably the majority, claim that the 32 teams would not dare to sign the Super Bowl participant for the 2012 season. He would be too big a risk, would cause unrest in the booth and could annoy conservative fans.

Bears defender Akiem Hicks also belongs to the second camp. He quickly made his point with an example from his own team to the “Chicago Sun Times”: “We have signed Mike Glennon.”

Meaning: Kaepernick would not be the worst quarterback on the market by far, the Bears would have decided against a contract for Kaepernick in 2017 not for sporting but for business reasons and instead got a signal-caller with Glennon, who would cause less trouble.

Glennon signed a three-year contract for 45 million dollars at that time, played four games from the beginning and was dismissed at the end of the 2017 season.

Akiem Hicks: Kaepernick was sedated
So Hicks is sure, “I think he would have gotten a good deal without the protest.” Kaep is athletic, can run the offense across the field, and would fulfill many of the criteria for a good NFL quarterback.

“I don’t know if he would’ve signed a fat contract and become a Hall-of-Fame quarterback. All I know is that they shut him up because he was on his knees – or they tried to shut him up.”

The fate of Kaepernick was too much of a risk for Hicks. “When Kaepernick was on his knees, I and 85% to 90% of the league thought the same thing. If I go down and kneel in front of the entire stadium, I’m fired. My job, my career and my life are over.”

Hicks’ fears were finally confirmed. But to the Bears, he reassured them, “This is not just a Chicago problem. It’s a problem for the entire league – there are 31 other teams.”

31 other teams who are unwilling to take the risk of giving Kaepernick a chance. It’s up to each team to decide which reasons they want to present.

But the example of Hicks is certainly not easy to refute.