If he came to the CFL in 2016 he certainly could possibly have been the best QB in the league in short order. Great arm and a fantastic runner/ scrambler. Perfect for the CFL game. There would have been no guarantees of course.
But after some 8 years away and at 35 I see this as a nothing burger. I liked him and he definitely got the shaft from the league for exercising the rights his fellow countryman had fought and died for. He has plenty of money from his settlement so presumably that wouldn’t be a factor and he could conceivably play for say $100,000 Cdn but no one would sign him for say starters money of some $500,000, least of all BC who already have their starter and a bargain basement backup among the best backups in the league.
If he came north it would have to be out of a burning desire to play football again and knowing that even if he proved himself in the CFL there would still be many NFL managers and coaches that wouldn’t put much stock in that. I am also not aware that he has any burning desire to return to the football field other than returning to the NFL and that ship has sailed.
The CFL has always been a second chance league for Americans who need to show their true skills . Garney Henley , Warren Moon , Doug Flutie, Bernie Custis, and Eric Harris come to mind without research .
Vince Ferragamo was a pylon who threw soft passes . Colin was a dynamic roll out QB who stood up for his valid beliefs . That kind of character is needed on every team . BC Lions would be wise to bring him and give him an opportunity to show his God given talents without the racial politics that strangles the Americans .
I agree with you, though I feel this would have been a better move five years ago.
I think the discussion is unrealistic now given the time away from football and age.
Five years ago, Kaepernick was in the middle of the legal proceedings with the NFL in a climate with all the public and media heat.
A major reason that this is not happening for starters in the NFL is on the legal front post-settlement. This is not a sexy reason for the NFL media types who thrive on clickbait and winding people up with hot takes.
You will be very hard-pressed to find ANY private employer in the US, and most public employers, who will re-hire an employee after a legal settlement after termination of employment irrespective of the contention of the matter and/or the settlement.
The legal risks in the US are simply too high for such an employer via existing laws to take a chance on somebody in such a situation as opposed to simply finding somebody else at far less legal risk.
I was thinking more for the 2024 season . This guy is much more talented than Adams IMO . A successful 2024 Lions season with Colin would again prove the Canada gets it and the US is still looking for judging people by their skills and not their skin .
The Steelers just signed a player who hasn’t played in the NFL since 2017 . These are young men who take care of their bodies unlike the old days when players came to camp to get in shape . I hope Colin does well in either league because he is a man of character and that still matters .