# Kaepernick comeback talk draws fire

> Jemele Hill floated Colin Kaepernick for the Falcons, and OutKick argues the idea makes no football sense.
- Title: Kaepernick comeback talk draws fire · OutKick | Shortify
- Summary: Jemele Hill floated Colin Kaepernick for the Falcons, and OutKick argues the idea makes no football sense. The piece argues Kaepernick's decade away from…
- Keywords: nfl, colin kaepernick, falcons, quarterbacks, sports media, news, politics, Kaepernick, comeback, talk, draws, fire
- Source: OutKick — https://foxnews.com/outkick-sports/jemele-hill-suggests-nfl-team-should-sign-colin-kaepernick-start-right-now
- Author: Bobby Burack
- Published: 2026-09-15T00:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: nfl, colin kaepernick, falcons, quarterbacks, sports media, news, politics
## Kaepernick still trains
Kaepernick told Jemele Hill in Detroit that he still wakes up and trains like an NFL player, waiting for another chance in the league.

> he still believes he can play in the league
## Hill names Atlanta
Hill backed his claim and pointed to the Falcons, framing Atlanta as a Black city and noting the team was thin at quarterback for Week 1.

> Black city
## Rush is imperfect
OutKick argues Cooper Rush is not a star, but he is at least an active NFL quarterback who has played in recent seasons and can function in a game.

> He is functional.
## Ten years matter
The piece says Kaepernick's age and long layoff make a comeback hard to take seriously. He turns 39 in November and has not played pro football in a decade.

> A player cannot simply go from not playing football for a decade to playing professionally
## Distraction beats upside
OutKick says teams passed on Kaepernick because the attention around him outweighed his value, not only because of the anthem protest controversy.

> Teams passed on him because he had become a distraction
## Not Atlanta's answer
The piece closes by saying Atlanta may need a better quarterback than Rush, but Kaepernick would not count as an upgrade now.

> Kaepernick would not be one of those upgrades.
## Key takeaway

The piece argues Kaepernick's decade away from football and the attention around him make an NFL return unrealistic.