The Hamilton Tiger-Cats hold the exclusive CFL rights for quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
The Ticats added Kaepernick to their negotiation list on October 11, 2019 and he remains one of the 45 players on the document.
Kaepernick played six season in the NFL and threw for 12,271 yards, 72 touchdowns versus 30 interceptions while rushing for 2,300 yards (6.1 yards per carry) and 13 touchdowns all with San Francisco. The 49ers selected the University of Nevada talent in the second round of 2011 NFL draft.
The 32-year-old Kaepernick was the first player in NFL history to take a knee during the United States national anthem in San Francisco’s final pre-season game on Sep. 1, 2016, protesting racial injustice and police brutality against black people. Kaepernick has been a football free agent since opting out of his contract with the 49ers in March 2017.
That led to the NFL approving a rule in May 2018 which opened players up to punishment if they chose to kneel during the national anthem. In August of the same year, Kaepernick won a collusion lawsuit by settlement with the NFL for keeping him out of the league.
According to Kaepernick’s representatives, not a single NFL team has offered him a job since he’s been a free agent and began his peaceful protest. He worked out for eight NFL scouts in November 2019, however, no contract came from it.
During his time in the NFL, Kaepernick earned more than $24 million. If Kaepernick wanted to continue earning money for playing football, the CFL would treat him just like any other potential player. The Ticats know what it’s like to deal with increased media attention. See: Manziel, Johnny.
Kaepernick’s dual threat style has the potential to work well on the Canadian field. Most importantly, the league and Ticats franchise would welcome Kaepernick north of the border if a contract was signed.
