(HorizonPost.com) – In a letter last week, former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick asked for a chance to join the New York Jets as quarterback for the practice squad, NBC News reported. The team is struggling after quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ season-ending injury, and rather than ask to join the team as starting quarterback, Kaepernick is lobbying for the opportunity to be the practice squad quarterback. Players on the practice squad are not part of an NFL team’s main 53-man roster. Instead, they serve as the opposing team during practice, running plays used by upcoming opponents to prep the main players for the game.
In his letter to Jets GM Joe Douglas, which was posted on Instagram by rapper J. Cole, Kaepernick said he would be “honored” and “grateful” to lead the practice squad to help prepare the Jets’ defense for each week’s game. He said he would show the same “dedication and passion” as a practice squad quarterback that he would in a starting quarterback position. Aaron Rodgers’ first season with the New York Jets lasted only four plays after he suffered an Achilles tendon tear during the season opener. His replacement, Zach Wilson, has since led the team to two straight losses. Kaepernick acknowledged in his letter the importance of keeping Zach Wilson “confident and focused” as starting quarterback and told Douglas that he would strive to help “boost that confidence” if he was given a chance to play for the practice squad.
Kaepernick suggested that if Douglas gave him a chance, at worst, the Jets could see what he has to offer and are “not that impressed,” and at best, the team would “realize you have a real weapon at your disposal” if needed. He said either way, he would “be committed to getting your defense ready week in and week out.” The Jets signed free agent Trevor Siemian as practice squad quarterback on September 26. The team has not issued a public response to Kaepernick’s letter.
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