US Senator Marco Rubio Says Talent Is Not Keeping Colin Kaepernick out of NFL

Marco Rubio believes Colin Kaepernick still has what it takes to make an NFL roster. The U.S. Senator from Florida recently spoke to TMZ about the NFL and he was asked about the Jacksonville Jaguars since he’s from Florida. With quarterback Nick Foles going down with a serious shoulder injury, there have been rumors about the team signing Kaepernick.

“Certainly there aren’t 64 better QBs playing in the NFL right now,” Rubio said.

Rubio went on to say he’s not an owner and he’s not sure how those decisions go down, but if it were up to him, he would bring Kaepernick in to see if can still play. “I’m not an NFL owner but I can tell you I don’t think there are 64 better quarterbacks … that’s obviously not football that’s keeping him away. If I were an owner, and he was the best guy, I’d bring him in despite the other stuff. But, there’s a lot that goes into that,” he said.

Of course, the other stuff is his protest during the national anthem back in 2016. Kaepernick has been on the social justice train since, which drew national headlines. After the 2016 season, Kaepernick opted out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers, which made him a free agent. He’s been out of the NFL since.

And that led him filing a grievance against the NFL, accusing league owners of collusion to keep him out of the league. Earlier this year, it was announced that Kaepernick reached a settlement with the NFL and withdrew the grievance.

The rumors of Kaepernick signing with the Jaguars stems from fans asking the team to make the move. But when it seems like anytime a team loses a quarterback, Kaepernick is the No. 1 option.

While things did not end well for Kaepernick, he did put together a solid career as a member of the 49ers. His best season was in 2013 when he threw for 3,197 yards, 21 touchdowns and eight interceptions while rushing for 524 and four touchdowns. However, in 2012, Kapernick replaced Alex Smith as the starting quarterback midway through the year and he led the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance only to lose to the Baltimore Ravens.

At this rate, it’s hard to see any team take a shot on the veteran QB since he hasn’t played in two full seasons. But knowing how the NFL works, it only takes one team to make the call and it’s possible Kaepernick could be on the field in the near future.