NFL
Colin Kaepernick Has a Powerful Ally in the NFL’s $7 Billion Super Agent
Stephen Sheehan began his sportswriting career as a high school student covering sports for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel through a student outreach program. He wrote for Bleacher Report and Fan Rag Sports and worked full-time for Sportscasting in 2020 and 2021. Stephen specializes in covering the NFL, particularly the New England Patriots. Stephen is inspired by the stories sports can tell, from money to tragedies to breaking news; there are so many different ways to cover the industry. He monitors Twitter and various websites every day to find stories to tell in unique ways. Stephen was a 2008 Culpepper Journalism Foundation Fellowship winner, received a bachelor's degree in journalism in 2013 and a master's in sports management in 2015 from the University of Florida, and is an active rugby player and former rugby and football coach.
Get to know Stephen Sheehan betterPublished15 Jun 2020
Colin Kaepernick has made a lot of enemies for standing up for what he believes in. Or in this case, taking a knee in peaceful protest. That ultimately cost him his NFL career. But if the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback plans on ever playing football again, he has a powerful ally in Drew Rosenhaus.
And it just so happens that the NFL’s $7 billion super-agent thinks Kaepernick deserves a job. But will he get another chance at resuming his NFL career?
Colin Kaepernick hasn’t played in three seasons
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Colin Kaepernick cost himself his football career by simply taking a knee. He’s since become an activist and leader for racial equality and social justice. But before he embarked on that journey, he made his living as an NFL quarterback.
Selecting in the second round of the 2011 NFL draft, Kaepernick joined a 49ers team that had a former No. 1 overall pick at quarterback. However, Alex Smith never lived up to his draft status. Midway through the 2012 season, Kaepernick took over the starting gig. San Fransisco advanced to the Super Bowl before falling to the Baltimore Ravens.
Following a flashy debut, he started all 16 games in both 2013 and 2014. While Kaepernick didn’t post astronomical numbers, he certainly belonged as one of the league’s 32 starters. However, injuries kept him out of the lineup in 2015. And after taking a knee during the 2016 season, he never suited up for the 49ers again.
In fact, no NFL team has ever signed Kaepernick since he opted out of his deal in the spring of 2017. Despite some rumblings, he has never got another opportunity. Clearly an NFL-caliber athlete with a resume worth of at least a backup job, somehow Colin Kaepernick has been out of the NFL for three full seasons.
Drew Rosenhaus says the former 49ers quarterback deserves a job
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These days, it might be difficult for Kaepernick to call many NFL power movers allies. After all, the league has been accused of blackballing the former 49ers QB. However, more and more people have defended Kaepernick and questioned why he doesn’t have a job.
Recently, Drew Rosenhaus officially put his foot down for Team Kaepernick. According to Christian Red of NBC News, the powerful agent thinks the NFL would do better to call Kaepernick one of its own again.
“I think he should get signed. I think he will get signed. It’s really important for the NFL to give him a chance,” said Rosenhaus, who’s been an agent for over three decades representing big-name players like Plaxico Burress and Terrell Owens.
“That would be great for the league at this juncture,” Rosenhaus said. “I think it would reflect very well on everything that Kaepernick has stood up for over the last several years. He was really ahead of his time with a lot of the things he was saying. If you play many of his interviews years ago, they’re spot on today.”
Rosenhaus could be a big help for Kaepernick
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For Colin Kaepernick, getting back into the NFL would represent a great achievement. It would also provide an opportunity for him to showcase his skills to people who may not have watched him play years ago. But in order for him to do that, he’ll have to convince a team to invest in him. And who better do make that sales pitch than Drew Rosenhaus?
The most recognizable NFL agent has built a tremendous network through his Rosenhaus Sports Representation business. Over the years, he’s worked with some of the biggest names in the NFL, including Antonio Brown, Rob Gronkowski, Tyreek Hill, and Frank Gore. In his career, he’s negotiated more than $7 billion worth of contracts.
Few non-football people possess the power and influence that Rosenhaus does. He knows coaches, general managers, and owners. He of course has relationships with both past and current players. And most importantly, he’s the one who negotiates the money.
Now, Kaepernick does already have an agent. That makes the situation much more complicated. Would Kaepernick be willing to switch representation? Or would Rosenhaus consider helping him out as a favor? Perhaps both agents could join forces to make a serious push.
Even if he doesn’t end up working directly with Rosenhaus, at least Colin Kaepernick can call him an ally. And when you hold as much power and influence as Drew Rosenhaus does, that relationship can go a long way.
