Wait, what? Could Kaepernick really land in Seattle?
By Andy Larkin
Kaepernick in Seattle?
No! Absolutely not! I would just as soon drink a gallon of bleach than watch Colin Kaepernick in a Seahawks uniform. After all, the former would be easier to stomach. Ok, those gut reactions may be a little hardcore. But as a Seahawks fan I’ve got to be honest about how this “Kaepernick to Seattle” speculation makes me feel.
I’m not even going to get in to the political side of things. This site is about sports, and more specifically the Seahawks. So let’s just eliminate the whole taking a knee thing from the get go.
At my core, I despise Colin Kaepernick (the football player). And honestly what true Seahawk’s fan doesn’t? I know the whole 49er rivalry has softened up due to the fact that they are a complete garbage heap of a franchise now, but come on.
Are we just going to forget the fact that people anointed Kaepernick as the next great thing the second he became a starter? Are we going to pretend he didn’t act like a punk every time the Seahawks beat him? Or maybe we can just whisk away the memory of him doing a Beats commercial clearly aimed at agitating Seahawk fans during the 2013 playoffs? Or if none of that strikes the chord of annoyance with you, how about all of those bicep kisses?
People actually wondered out loud who the better quarterback was between Russell Wilson and Colin Kaepernick. These things actually happened and can be found in the archives. Of course, it’s pretty comical now because you’d be hard pressed to find a further fall from athletic grace when it comes to Kaepernick and the Niners, but that doesn’t change history.
“The sinister side of me thinks about the ultimate punch to the gut of the Harbaugh-era 49ers”
I would have never thought in a million years the Seahawks would bring Kaepernick in. And if they do, it will certainly be weird. Yet as I sit here writing and digesting all of this I can’t help but smirk a little too. The sinister side of me thinks about the ultimate punch to the gut of the Harbaugh-era 49ers. Their star, the face of the franchise, has gone from a Super Bowl appearance in 2012 to Russell Wilson’s backup in 2017.
What a plot twist. Talk about the end of a rivalry. The moment the other team’s quarterback becomes your backup is the moment a rivalry officially dies.
So as this thought of Kaepernick being in a Seahawk jersey continues to eat at me, I’m calmed by the thought that the Seahawks have officially won. I saw it coming in 2011. I knew the Hawks were better in 2012, and I watched it become reality in 2013.
But as we sit here in 2017 and look at what’s transpired, the Seahawks didn’t just end the Niners season in 2013, they completely wrecked a franchise. Again this is my dark side speaking, but seeing Kaepernick reduced to being a backup for a team that was considered to be his greatest rival would be strangely satisfying.
“He might even be an ok dude”
Aside from all of that, I guess Kaepernick could end up being a decent backup and better insurance than Trevone Boykin. He might even be an ok dude. And yes, I know that if any coaching staff and management could handle the big personality, it would be the Seahawks. Truthfully, I can see how this possibility isn’t the craziest thing in the world.
However, I still don’t know if I could bring myself to root for someone I’ve spent so much time rooting against. It just wouldn’t feel right. I guess time will tell if this actually comes to fruition. If it does, I’ll just hope and pray (more than usual) Russell doesn’t get hurt. Kaepernick starting for the Seahawks is not a scenario I’m ready for.