Kelly said Tuesday that Kaepernick will play in the team’s final exhibition game Thursday night in San Diego after missing the first two preseason games with a exhausted shoulder.
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Kaepernick, who has sat through the anthem for all three 49ers preseason games so far, is prepared to keep fighting for what he believes in – even alone.
Kaepernick’s stance, which he further explained Sunday after he was shown sitting on the bench for “The Star-Spangled Banner” before Friday’s preseason loss to the Packers, was still the chatter around the National Football League, too.
Amid this firestorm, Kaepernick participated in practice, then sat at his locker and amicably talked with fellow quarterback Blaine Gabbert about pass plays. We’re all about preparing for the Chargers game obviously this Thursday and, more importantly, for the Rams season opens up on Monday night.
Even his former coach, outspoken MI leader Jim Harbaugh, chimed in from afar in disagreement with Kaepernick’s tactics – clarifying some earlier remarks that questioned the quarterback’s motivation.
“It’s not up to me”, Kelly said.
“Really what’s at stake is my pride and what kind of man would I be and what kind of African-American would I be if I didn’t stand my ground on this issue we have today?” he told Philadelphia area reporters. “It’s a group effort”.
Kelly said he planned on having four possible quarterbacks at Thursdays game. Rookie Jeff Driskel and Christian Ponder are the other two quarterbacks on the roster.
Kaepernick’s avenue of protest did not draw the endorsement of Harbaugh, who launched Kaepernick’s career and made him a starter during the 2012 season’s Super Bowl run. “As we said all along, we recognize his right to express his feelings, but that doesn’t affect what we do from when we get here at 8:15 in the morning and leave at 8 o’clock at night”.
Perhaps the bigger issue when it comes to Kaepernick’s status on the team has been his declining play.
Kaepernick then missed almost two weeks of training camp with a exhausted shoulder and was ineffective in his first appearance of the preseason last Friday night against Green Bay.
Kaepernick’s protest has drawn reaction from around the world from athletes, politicians and others. I’m a vet. I care about people’s right to take a stand.
But Brown also said he would not choose to protest in this manner.
“You have Donald Trump who’s openly racist”, he said. Another says protesting is every American’s right.
In another corner, some – including activists and National Basketball Association great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – have praised him for bringing awareness to a major issue.
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“This isn’t something I’m going to ask other people to put their necks out for what I’m doing”, Kaepernick said Sunday. Can we all just get along!
