In case your television has been shut off all month, you probably know that we’re now a few weeks into the 2023 NFL season. In the first week of the season, though, the New York Jets saw most of their hope for a successful year go out the window when their newly acquired star quarterback Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles.
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Since then, the Jets have struggled at the QB position with their backup Zach Wilson. Taking notice of this dilemma was Colin Kaepernick, a former star QB who has been out of the NFL for years partly due to his public stance on police brutality in the U.S. Launching the trend of kneeling down during the national anthem at each game, Kaepernick alienated many football fans, which led to the acceleration of his downfall as a player.
On Tuesday (September 26), though, rapper J. Cole stepped up to see if he could help Kaepernick find a way back into the football world. Posting a message Kaepernick wrote to Jets general manager Joe Douglas on his Instagram, Cole vouched for his QB friend to earn a spot on the roster.
“I asked Colin @kaepernick7 if I could share this letter with the world,” Cole wrote in the caption. “He was reluctant. My argument was that I believe the people and all organizations should know the truth about how hard he works and how much he still wants to play. And always has. In the end, he agreed to let me.”
In his message, Kaepernick sent his well wishes to Rodgers to make a full recovery, while also laying out why he’s the right man to come in and bolster the Jets’ quarterback room.
“I’m writing, of course, in response to the unfortunate loss of Aaron Rodgers. I know the aspirations this season were, and still are, to win a championship, and so that Hall of Fame sized hole will need to be filled as best as possible to keep the team on a Super Bowl track,” he said. “As of right now, Zach Wilson is charged with that task, and I wish him and the rest of the team the best moving forward. However, I know that there are currently depth issues at the position, and I’ve heard that the back-up spot is likely to be filled by a veteran Quarterback. As much as I would love the opportunity to fill that spot, I’m writing you in hopes that you can imagine a much different approach involving me.”
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Unfortunately for Kaepernick, the Jets would end up signing a different quarterback to their roster named Trevor Siemian, two hours after Cole’s post went up. Siemian, who will serve as the backup for Wilson, entered the NFL in 2015, a year before Kaepernick first knelt down during the anthem during his final NFL season (2016).
But, as Kaepernick will likely continue to seek out NFL opportunities, it’s probably nice to know that he’ll have high-profile advocates like J. Cole backing him up, who referenced the QB in his 2018 collaboration with Miguel titled “Come Through and Chill.”
In case my lack of reply had you catchin’ them feelings
Know you’ve been on my mind like Kaepernick kneelin’
Or police killings, or Trump sayin’ slick shit
Manipulatin’ poor white folks because they ignant
Blind to the struggles of the ones that got the pigment
Photo by Josh Brasted/FilmMagic
