Ravens TE Ben Watson: Kaepernick’s Protest Not the Only Reason He’s Out of a Job, I Think He’ll Be Signed

Friday, on ESPN’s “SportsCenter: Coast to Coast,” Baltimore Ravens tight end Benjamin Watson weighed in on quarterback Colin Kaepernick continuing to be a free agent in the NFL.

He began by discussing the race issue, saying Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem for the same reason Watson chooses to stand. Watson also stated that he supported Kaepernick’s decision to exercise his First Amendment rights.

ESPN’s Cari Champion then asked Watson if he thinks Kaepernick will get signed.

“I think so,” he replied. “He’s a quarterback that is a middle-aged quarterback. Obviously, there has to be the right situation for him to come, and he plays a certain style of football. So, there’s that aspect of it why he’s not part of a team. I also think part of it is the reaction that he received from him taking a knee. The reaction was overwhelming. A lot of people supported him, a lot of people didn’t support him.”

Watson continued, “[A]nytime you are employing someone for your football team as an owner, as a coach, as a GM, you look at all those things and whether they’re going to be a distraction, or whether the fans are going to support it or not. So, I think it is both of those things coming together. I think he’s a good enough football player, a good enough quarterback, where, at some point, he’s going to get a job. But I also think that part of the reason why he doesn’t have one as readily now may be because of the stance that he took last season.”

Follow Trent Baker on Twitter @MagnifiTrent