With the start of the NFL season coming among Colin Kaepernick still remains a top story, despite not filing out a roster spot.

Kaepernick finished the 2016 season playing 12 games along with a respectable stat line, but still remains a free agent. His play on the field is not the issue, its the political stance that he kneels by.

The previous NFL season’s top headline was not the play on the field. Although Super Bowl 51 could be regarded as one of the greatest ever.

The top headline coming out of last season was Kaepernick’s political stance. In a show of defiance to our presidential candidates he knelled during the national anthem.

Comparing to other quarterbacks around the league, Kaepernick has the ability to become the starting quarterback.

Jacksonville, Cleveland, Baltimore, Seattle are among the teams who would receive an immediate upgrade at the quarterback position. As a viable starter or a solid backup. Kaepernick will help a team more than it hurts one.

It’s clear that Kaepernick has been blacklisted by the NFL owners. Teams and general managers have reported interest but have yet to sign on the dotted line.

The issue really lies with the team owners. It is clear that they do not support Kaepernick’s political ideas, but they hide it with headlines questioning his character, or his play.

The argument that Kaepernick divides a locker room is fabricated, and just smoke to further blacklist him from the league. As a member of the San Francisco 49ers Kaepernick won the Len Eshmont award. This is a prestigious award voted by the locker room is given to the player that best exemplifies the inspirational and courageous play. The fact that the team voted Kaepernick to receive the award shows that he did not divide, but actually brought the locker together.

The rest of the NFL players have began to show support with their own displays of protest. The leagues top stars such as Richard Sherman have all spoke on the issue stating that this is a power play by the NFL owners.

“It is not about football or color.” Sherman said in a post practice press conference. ” It is about ‘Boy, stay in your place’.”

Kaepernick has stood firm despite losing out on the potential NFL pay day. While its clear that he has the ability to play, his days in the league seems to have come to an end and unfairly so. The beauty behind sports is that on the field of play its free of politics.