McCourty on unsigned Kaepernick: ‘It's sad; the guy's a good player'

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FOXBORO -- Colin Kaepernick is still without an NFL job. That has come as a surprise to many who look at his 90.7 quarterback rating last year and wonder how he isn't deserving of a roster spot somewhere as team's begin training camp -- particularly when rosters feature 90 players apiece. 

But to Devin McCourty, there isn't a lot of shock associated with Kaepernick's current unemployment. And as far as McCourty's concerned, it has little to do with his talent level and everything to do with his decision to kneel for the national anthem before games last year.

"Honestly not that surprised," he said at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday. "I think he was aware of what he was getting into. It's sad. The guy's a good player, has done some successful things in this league. It's just how things shake out.

"What he's done, I think, has made it hard for him to get a job. Not even going off his talent level. But just [his stance on social issues] alone makes it tough for teams to give him a shot. I think you see that. I think he was kind of aware of what he did and what he was doing, and the effect it would have on his caeer. It's tough on him, I would imagine. Hopefully he gets picked up and has a chance to still play."

For one week last year, Devin McCourty took part in a movement sparked by Colin Kaepernick. During Week 1, after the playing of the national anthem in Arizona, McCourty raised his fist alongside then-teammate Martellus Bennett. 

McCourty said that he's been in the league long enough now to understand that why a player may or may not get a job isn't always fair.

"In this league, it's not promised," he said. "People above us that make decisions to either have us on the team or not have us on the team. Everything you do will have an effect on your career. It's just something you have to deal with.

"We're not the only profession that deals with that. There's a lot of professions that deal with it. It's just we're in the public eye more. It's something you kind of expect. The longer you're in the league you see more things, you kind of understand and see how it works. It's never easy to handle, but different things happen."

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