Massachusetts Rep. Joseph Kennedy Calls For Patriots To Sign Colin Kaepernick

By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston

BOSTON (CBS) -- Last week, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell issued a statement that the league was wrong in its past dealings with listening to players and that the league now encourages players to protest peacefully.

For many people, this admission was not enough, as such a statement that still did not mention Colin Kaepernick remains empty.

Massachusetts congressman Joe Kennedy is one of those people, and he wants to take it a step further.

Kennedy, who is challenging Sen. Ed Markey in this year's Democratic primary election, sent out a tweet on Wednesday evening, calling for the NFL to apologize to Kaepernick -- and for the Patriots to sign him.

Frankly, neither scenario is particularly realistic.

Though the NFL certainly mishandled Kaepernick's peaceful protest from its very beginning back in the summer of 2016, the two sides reached a settlement last year after Kaepernick had filed a grievance against the league for his continued lack of employment. A direct apology to Kaepernick specifically could open the door for Kaepernick to pursue another legal case against the league, which is something the NFL would prefer to not arise at any time, let alone during the current national climate.

As for the Patriots signing him, nothing is impossible, though signing a quarterback who hasn't worn an NFL uniform in more than three years would be borderline unprecedented. Kaepernick is still just 32 years old, but he last suited up on New Year's Day in 2017, making it 1,257 days (and counting) since he played in the league.

Michael Vick represents the most high-profile case of a quarterback returning to the league after a long absence, though his prison sentence led to him missing only two seasons. He returned to the NFL at the age of 29, serving as a backup in 2009 before taking over as the starter in Philadelphia in 2010.

In the late '90s, quarterback Steve DeBerg came out of a four-year retirement to sign with the Falcons at age 44, though he was a backup who started just one game that year.

Any return to the NFL for Kaepernick would likely require at least a year of getting back into playing shape and into a professional rhythm of playing football. Serving as a backup or third-stringer behind an established veteran for a year might prove to be the best landing spot if Kaepernick were to embark on a second career in the league. In New England, with a quarterback room currently comprised of Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer, it's not necessarily the best spot.

Nevertheless, as has been the case with Kaepernick since the summer of 2016, his name will be used as political fodder from all sides. That includes protesting players, pundits in the media, the president of the United States, and now a congressman from Massachusetts.

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• Colin Kaepernick
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• Joe Kennedy