Colin Kaepernick Gets Start Against Bills

The headlines on the peaceful protests by football players have somewhat subsided over the last couple weeks. Colin Kaepernick and a few teammates have continued kneeling, and Colin especially has been speaking up on the issue whenever he has the chance. In the 49ers home game last Thursday, Blaine Gabbert wasn’t exactly having the best game of his career with 162 passing yards, 58% completion rate, 1 TD and 2 INTs. Around the beginning of the fourth quarter against the Arizona Cardinals, 49er fans at Levi Stadium began chanting “We want Colin!” in complete unison and it seems to have raised some heads amongst the coaching staff and team management. A day or two after the game, sources began to reveal that Chip Kelly was playing with the idea of starting Kaep this week. When the news broke that he would be starting, of course, his critics came to bash him.

The thing about this start for Colin is that it has a little more meaning than just getting an opportunity to start since last season. With his protesting efforts in mind, I can’t help but think what his touchdown celebration is going to be, assuming he actually scores a touchdown somehow. I imagine him running it into the endzone on a QB Keeper and instead of flexing his right arm and giving his bicep a smooch, he might thrust that right fist into the air instead. I just can’t wait to see and hear people’s reactions to that statement he could make on such a big issue in our country. If anything, I think it will keep the conversation going on that issue.

Not only does he have the pressure of getting the start and having more eyes on him than usual, but the game is in Buffalo and the Bills’ running back LeSean McCoy has invited between 15-20 officers to the game. Because of Kaep getting the start, it seems as if he is doing this as a counter protest but according to Fox News Sports, “McCoy said the gesture wasn’t a direct response to Kaepernick’s kneeling protests. He added that he has no problem with his protest. McCoy said that it has yet to be determined whether the officers will come for Sunday’s game or the Oct. 30 game against the New England Patriots.”

The game kicks off at 1:00 PM ET. I know I’ll be watching, just because the stakes are just a little higher than the typical quarterback swap.