Count Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith among the list of notable sports figures to publicly express support for Colin Kaepernick.
Smith went on Twitter to say that based on sheer talent, the currently unemployed NFL quarterback deserves a roster spot.
We (athletes) have all seen people with not as much talent but they still have jobs.
— JR Smith (@TheRealJRSmith) August 25, 2017
Colin Kaepernick’s continued lack of employment has been a hot-button topic within the sports world. With the new NFL season just around the corner, it doesn’t seem like he’s any closer to finding a new team.
Smith is probably accurate in his assessment that Kap has the talent to warrant a job in the league, at the very least as a backup. There are a handful of clearly less talented quarterbacks currently playing in preseason and will likely hold down a place on the roster while Kap remains unsigned.
Unfortunately, talent isn’t the lone factor teams consider when signing a player. Teams are also wary of the outsized attention and publicity a specific player receives which they might view as a “distraction.” This likely played a part in Tim Tebow failing to find another job in the league, and it’s also playing a part in the Kaepernick situation.