Colin Kaepernick Should Definitely Be Considered An American Hero

Let's get one important thing out of the way; Ray Lewis' statement wasn't speculation, He was quoted, And this is backed up by CBS and ESPN. There are also countless articles detailing why the Dolphins decided not to sign Kaep and instead went with Jay Cutler. I had sources but DDO kind of sucks and won't allow me to include them in my argument. This still dismisses any notion that my arguments were mere 'speculation. ' Now with that out of the way, Let's get to your first point about the Ravens. You say that Kaepernick wouldn't have been starting over Joe Flacco, Which is true, But why exactly does that matter? The goal here is for him to have a job in the NFL, And being a backup QB would mean that he has a job in the NFL. Whether or not he's starting is irrelevant. The Ravens backup QBs at that point were terrible, So bringing in Kaepernick was likely a better alternative than trying to play whoever they had (I think it was Ryan Mallet). I'm aware that learning a playbook is difficult, But at the end of the day, Kaerpernick is simply trying to find a job. If he can't learn a playbook to even serve as a backup, Then he shouldn't be in the NFL to begin with. Keep in mind, That same season, Jimmy Garoppolo, A QB with little playing time as a starter, Came in and won 5 straight games under a new offense in San Francisco. If a QB with 1 and half games of experience can do it, I think a player like Colin Kaepernick can as well. Ray Lewis is a Hall of Fame LB and very close with the higher ups in the Ravens' organization, So, I'd say that he's a very credible source for information regarding the Ravens' decisions. On to the settlement between Kaep and the NFL, I think there's more to it than what Kaep's lawyer is saying. If all the owners were colluding against Kaep, Steve Biscotti must not have gotten the message, Since his team was apparently very close to offering him a deal. The NFL likely felt that it was better to simply drop the entire a case and get Kaep to be quiet, Rather than continue fighting him. They were already getting tons of bad press as it was, And this case was hurting their image. It was easier to settle out of court, Rather than continue a fight that wasn't going to benefit them in any way. Kaep's lawyer isn't very reliable, Either, Considering he has contradicted himself and stated that teams (such as the Patriots and Panthers) are still inquiring about signing Kaep to a contract. If there was collusion, No team would be giving him this kind of information, Since they don't want him in the league. As for Kraft, Like I said in the comments, The NFL has a flawed system based on production on the field. They don't care about what you do off the field as long as you produce on it. Robert Kraft took a team that was flirting with bankruptsy and a possible move to St. Louis and turned them into arguably the greatest dynasty in all of sports. In the same way Ray Lewis was a game changing LB that struck fear into his opponents. In the same way Michael Vick was a dual-threat talent that couldn't be ignored. In the same way Tyreek Hill is lightning in a bottle. I could go on for days. My point is, Kaepernick lacked the talent to keep a job while causing a ruckus. He was coming off of a dismal 2-14 campaign that saw him get benched for Blaine Gabbert in the middle of the season. His stats might have been decent, But he simply wasn't worth his baggage, Hence why he ultimately lost his job. The thing is, There are other players that are just as outspoken-- if not moreso-- than Kaepernick that still have jobs in the league today, Such as Michael Bennett. Bennett actually came out and accused a police officer of assaulting him not too long ago, As well as continuing his staunch protest of the anthem. He was recently traded to the Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots, After playing a season for the former SB Champion Eagles. Despite his protests, Great teams still clearly want him on their rosters. Why is that?