“People are once again calling out the NFL for Colin Kaepernick’s absence from the league after the Dallas Cowboys suffered a sizable loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night. Fans of the activist and former San Francisco 49ers quarterback are arguing online that the Cowboys should sign Kaepernick, who has remained unsigned by a team since he became a free agent after the 2016 season. Kaepernick famously led peaceful protests against racial injustice by kneeling during the playing of the national anthem at NFL games. The league, which has an unsettling history of confronting racism, has been widely accused of blackballing Kaepernick for his activism. The Dallas Cowboys lost 38-10 to the Cardinals on Monday. It was the first game the team played this season without starting quarterback Dak Prescott — and with former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton filling his spot. Prescott suffered a season-ending ankle injury during a game on Oct. 10. “The Cowboys need Kaepernick lol but I’m dead serious!!!! #CowboysNeedHelp” actor/comedian Lil Rel Howery tweeted on Monday. The Cowboys need Kaepernick lol but I’m dead serious!!!! #CowboysNeedHelp— Lil Rel Howery (@LilRel4) October 20, 2020 Other Twitter users agreed with Howery’s assessment: I think the Dallas Cowboys should call Colin Kaepernick— S E T T E G A S T 7️⃣ 7️⃣ 👶🏾 (@T4LKevo) October 20, 2020 I know it’ll never happen, but I would love to see the Cowboys give Colin Kaepernick a shot. This roster is too talented offensively to give up on the season and he’s not Dak, but he has a similar style of play. Dalton stinks and he’s not mobile at all.— Mark Gunnels (@MarkAGunnels) October 20, 2020 I wonder if @realjerryjones will sign @Kaepernick7 after this performance by @andydalton14 and the @dallascowboys season in a freefall after the injury to @dak. I wouldn’t hold my breath.— Zaheer E. Clarke (@zaheerclarke) October 20, 2020 Go get @Kaepernick7 @dallascowboys @dallascowboys— Brad Heard (@B_Heard24) October 20, 2020 Dear Jerry Jones and @dallascowboys,@Kaepernick7 is better than Andy Dalton. We know why you didn’t choose Kap though.— Levin T. Black (Formerly Da Bum) (@LTBlackNiners) October 20, 2020 So Andy Dalton is the guy. No? If only there was someone out there who has a big arm, is mobile and can flat out run, and has experience leading a team deep into a playoff run. If only… pic.twitter.com/y299YecA6t— Maurice Sanders (@Affablegiant) October 20, 2020 If you’re watching Monday Night Football, this is just a reminder that Colin Kaepernick remains unemployed. Andy Dalton and Kirk Cousins, though.— Arash Madani (@ArashMadani) October 20, 2020 The Cowboys announced that they had signed Garrett Gilbert as a third-string quarterback days after Prescott’s injury. Dalton, who was the team’s backup quarterback, moved to the starting position and the team’s former No. 3 quarterback, Ben DiNucci, moved up to the No. 2 spot. The announcement about Gilbert signing to the team last week also renewed conversations about Kaepernick’s status in the league on Twitter. The #DallasCowboys are signing veteran QB Garrett Gilbert— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) October 13, 2020 Why not Kaepernick??— “Pinky” (@JaimePinkynm) October 13, 2020 Cowboys team owner Jerry Jones has had a particularly troubling relationship with NFL player protests. In 2017, Jones suggested that players who kneeled during the playing of the national anthem in protest of racial injustice would get benched. Jones referred to the peaceful protest as disrespectful to the American flag. Instead, he once knelt with players on the field prior to the playing of the national anthem to purportedly demonstrate unity. The team stood up when the anthem played. The following year, Jones declared that he would not support players choosing to remain in the locker room during the anthem. “Our policy is that you stand at the anthem, toe on the line,” Jones said during a July news conference in 2018, The Associated Press reported. Jones has recently appeared to slightly change his public tone surrounding NFL player protests. During a segment of his radio show last month, he said, according to the AP, “Players have issues that they need help on. And they need help along with the majority of America.” Still, Jones noted his stance on standing during the anthem, saying, “We all do understand where I stand relative to the national anthem and the flag.” Kaepernick, who led the 49ers to the Super Bowl in 2013, notably did not get signed by any team in the league at the start of the 2020 season.
