It’s hard to imagine what could have been if the 49ers had never traded for Alex Smith. The team has gone from perennial contenders in the NFC to a second-tier franchise, and now we are seeing them struggle even just to reach .500 this year. On Sunday night against the Bears, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo showed some flashes of hope by guiding San Francisco back from an early deficit with strong play throughout his first start since September 2017., But that all ended when he was forced out of action due to injury at halftime as C.J. Beathard took over leading up into Chicago’s blowout victory..
The “nfl news” is reporting that the “Peter King All but Ended Former 49ers QB’s Hall of Fame Chances.” The article goes on to say that it was because of his lack of production and injuries.
Is Colin Kaepernick a Pro Football Hall of Famer?
No, according to his on-field statistics. Even his most ardent supporters, those who have spent the previous five years arguing that he is deserving of an NFL roster slot, would hardly claim that his six-year career is worthy of a bronze bust in Canton, Ohio.
What if Kaepernick’s off-field accomplishments were taken into account?
Whatever one’s feelings towards Kaepernick, the fact remains that the Nevada native basically gave up his NFL career to fight for social justice reform and equality. For some, it may be enough to win the 2012 NFC champion a contributor’s berth in the Hall of Fame.
King, Peter of NBC Sports, a long-time Hall of Fame voter, isn’t convinced.
Even as a writer, King, Peter does not think Colin Kaepernick will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Colin Kaepernick’s Hall of Fame prospects aren’t looking good for NBC Sports’ King, Peter (R) | Jaime Crawford/Getty Images; Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Pro Football Hall of Fame, like practically every other sports Hall of Fame, is made up of more than just players. Since the museum’s inception in 1963, coaches, owners, and even broadcasters/media members have been inducted into the Canton Hall of Fame.
Even with all the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback has done off the field, King does not see a route for Kaepernick.
In his April 11 Football Morning in America column, King answered a reader’s query on Kaepernick’s odds of making the Hall of Fame. Andrew Chapman of Preston, England, specifically wanted to know whether making the case that the current NFL’s narrative cannot be told without highlighting the quarterback’s kneeling and dedication to social justice will aid the 2011 second-round choice.
That reasoning does not appeal to King, who has been a Hall of Fame voter since 1992. Ralph Hay, who coordinated the first meeting of owners that ultimately established the NFL, isn’t in the Hall of Fame, according to the veteran journalist, despite his huge effect on the league.
“Based on what he performed on the field, a player, coach, or contributor deserves to be in or not.” Otherwise, we’d be inserting societal heroes, war heroes, and post-football second-career heroes, which I don’t like.”
King, Peter
Because he has not played since the 2016 season, Kaepernick is theoretically eligible for the Hall of Fame. To be eligible for induction, players must be five years distant from their most recent season.
The discussion about whether Kaepernick should be inducted into the Hall of Fame is still enthralling, particularly in light of King’s thoughts.
Colin Kaepernick was nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame by an NFL fan.
Does he make a good case? pic.twitter.com/1hidAyD3Yc
— 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬 (@sportingnews) September 3, 2020
The idea of Kaepernick being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a contributor isn’t new. A Vermont man named Bob Birkett recommended Kaepernick for the Hall of Fame in a letter addressed to the museum in September 2020.
The notion that Kaepernick’s effect on the sport should not prevent him from being inducted into the Hall of Fame isn’t altogether incorrect. In recent years, baseball fans have made a similar argument about accused or confirmed drug users like Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, and Roger Clemens. How can the National Baseball Hall of Fame claim to be a museum without a bronze plaque for Bonds and Clemens, two of the sport’s most productive players?
However, there are three of the finest players to ever win the diamond. There are lots of other quarterbacks who have a stronger case for a bronze bust, and we’re not even talking about live locks like Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady. However, no one is recommending Bernie Kosar or Trent Green for a position in Canton.
Is it possible to tell the whole tale of football without Kaepernick? Probably not, if only because his 2016 choice to kneel during the national anthem caused a stir in the sports world. But that’s why the Hall of Fame amassssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss Ask Kendall Hinton of the Denver Broncos, whose wristband from a 2020 game in which he was forced to play quarterback was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Based on his numbers, Kaepernick isn’t a Hall of Famer. When everything is said and done, he is unlikely to be inducted into the Hall of Fame for his contributions to social justice.
Should it really make a difference in the end? Nope. Not when linebacker Zach Thomas of the Miami Dolphins is still waiting for his Hall of Fame call. And, maybe more significantly, not after Kaepernick has battled so valiantly for what he believes will alter the world.
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Warren Moon, a legendary quarterback, is skeptical about Colin Kaepernick’s chances of making a comeback.
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