Cowboys Grilled for Not Signing Colin Kaepernick Instead of Garrett Gilbert

John Newby

10/17/2020 03:10 pm EDT

The Dallas Cowboys lost starter Dak Prescott to a season-ending compound ankle fracture on Sunday against the New York Giants. The injury elevated veteran Andy Dalton into the starting lineup after he joined the team as a free agent but left a spot open in the quarterback room. The Cowboys signed Garrett Gilbert off of the Cleveland Browns' practice squad, making him third on the depth chart and pushing rookie Ben DiNucci into the primary backup role. The move also irritated some football fans.

When the Cowboys announced the addition to the roster, many Twitter users took issue with the decision to sign Gilbert. Several proclaimed that former San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick was the better option. Others criticized owner Jerry Jones for not giving the free agent a chance. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters and fans alike before the season that he would like to see a team sign Kaepernick, who has remained away from football since kneeling during the national anthem throughout the 2017 season. However, Goodell and league executive Troy Vincent said that it would be up to the individual teams to make a decision about Kaepernick.

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Is Kaepernick the best option for the Cowboys? Dalton will obviously be the starter for the remainder of the season while Gilbert will slot into the third spot on the depth chart and will be inactive most weeks. There are some fans that believe Kaepernick is clearly more talented than the former practice squad player, and they expressed the opinion that he should have gotten the call despite having a very slim chance to actually suit up for any of the upcoming games.

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Dalton led the Cowboys on a game-winning drive against the Giants on Sunday, connecting with Michael Gallup twice to set up the final field goal. Now the veteran will move forward with the best group of surrounding players he has ever played with, but some fans are not convinced that Dalton will find success. They proclaimed that the former 49ers QB in Kaepernick is actually the best option to keep the team on the winning track.

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While many of the Cowboys fans made it clear that they want to see Kaepernick on the roster, many proclaimed that this signing would not happen. The reason they cited is that Jones still owns the team. The Cowboys owner previously sparked criticism for comments about kneeling during the national anthem, which many fans used as the primary reason for why he would never sign Kaepernick.

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There were several fans that argued about Kaepernick and why the Cowboys won't sign him in the near future following the news about Gilbert. Many continued to ask why the team continues to ignore the veteran free agent, prompting responses from other Twitter users. These fans provided varying reasons for why the Cowboys would not consider signing Kaepernick to the active roster.

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The Cowboys incorporated an offense that often utilized Prescott's scrambling ability in the red zone or when the offense needed a first down. His athleticism was a major advantage each week, which is why many fans made comments about Kaepernick. They proclaimed that the former 49ers QB could run the same offense and find success on the ground.

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Did the Cowboys fail to sign Kaepernick due to him being out of playing shape or because he desires to be a starting QB? There were many different theories tweeted in response to the Cowboys signing Gilbert. However, several fans said that the only reason is that Jones doesn't agree with Kaepernick's beliefs.

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A common theme on Twitter following the Cowboys' announcement was that the NFL owners were "hypocrites." Fans expressed the opinion that those in charge of the 32 teams were lying when they said that Kaepernick could still play. The fans said that talking positively about the former 49ers QB was one thing, but they didn't believe that the owners would follow through with their statements.

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