It's rough being a New York Jets fan. I'm not one, but I can sense their pain from the outside. That was perfectly encapsulated by an entire offseason centered on the addition of Aaron Rodgers only to have him tear his Achilles tendon on the first drive of the first game. 

With Zach Wilson back at the helm, the Jets have lost two straight games by double digits. Is hope on the horizon, though? No, it's not, but Colin Kaepernick is. According to a letter sent to the Jets organization, Kaepernick is making a desperate attempt to rejoin the NFL. 

J. Cole has released Colin Kaepernick's letter to the Jets requesting to join their practice squad 🙏 pic.twitter.com/Kjn3af3u9G

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 26, 2023

To be clear, I think there's essentially no chance the Jets sign Kaepernick to their practice squad. When it comes to quarterbacks, the practice squad is usually where teams put a young, less sought-after guy they'd like to develop without risking a serious contract. What would be the point of signing a 35-year-old who hasn't played in seven years to fill that spot?

Besides, what NFL team wants to take on a guy who still can't stop promoting communism and crying racism every other minute? Practice squad players are expected to do their part quietly. Kaepernick would bring a media firestorm, and you can bet he'd end up embarrassing the Jets in an attempt to re-up his profile. Again, where's the upside?

Regardless, what makes this so incredible is Kaepernick's past statements. You may recall that he once compared playing in the NFL to slavery. 

As Kaepernick narrates, the onscreen action shows athletes in front of scouts, coaches and team owners going through various drills on a football field.

"What they don't want you to understand," Kaepernick says, "is what's being established is a power dynamic. Before they put you on the field, teams poke, prod and examine you. Searching for any defect that might affect your performance. No boundary respected. No dignity left intact."

The scene continues with Black players walking off the football field, but as they cross in front of Kaepernick, the players are seen walking into a cotton field in chains where a slave owner is auctioning off the men to other slave owners.

Why does Kaepernick want to voluntarily be re-enslaved (according to his own description)? Someone should probably ask him that. I'm sure his answer would be enlightening. 

What this shows is that Kaepernick's past activism was mostly performative. He made a lot of noise when it was making him a lot of money via endorsement deals and documentaries. His star has faded more recently, though, and he's now asking to go back to a league he claimed was comparable to a slave auction. If that doesn't completely expose his prior motives, nothing does.

Still, it's funny to see him beg, isn't it?