ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap: No ‘Evidence’ Kaepernick Has Been ‘Blackballed’ by the NFL

Thursday, ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap weighed in on quarterback Colin Kaepernick remaining unsigned as the NFL’s 2017 preseason minicamps approach.

“First Take” host Molly Qerim asked Schaap if the free agent quarterback is being “blackballed” by NFL owners and that is why he continues to be without a team, but Schaap said he has not seen any evidence of him being blackballed and offered up why he thinks Kaepernick is still unsigned.

“[Y]ou cannot deny that he has been, to some degree, [a] distraction, whatever that means,” Schaap replied. “There’s one thing that NFL owners, NFL general managers don’t want in a backup quarterback, we’ve heard this before, and it’s a distraction. And I think there’s a false equivalency sometimes made, ‘Ok, well, he’s better than [Blaine] Gabbert and Gabbert got signed.’ For what, $1 million? I think we know that Colin Kaepernick wants significantly more money than that. If we’re going to throw around accusations that he’s being blackballed because of his political beliefs, I believe there should be some evidence. And I haven’t seen it.”

“Right now in terms of people, you know, we know NFL owners are conservative. We know there’s a conservative environment in the NFL, but again, where is the evidence?” he asked.

Follow Trent Baker on Twitter @MagnifiTrent