Michael Bennett says Seattle is 'perfect place' for Colin Kaepernick
If signing Colin Kaepernick would be some sort of distraction and cause an NFL locker room to implode, as some believe, at least one prominent member of one of the NFC’s most successful teams over the past few years doesn’t see an issue.
Seattle Seahawks Pro Bowl defensive lineman Michael Bennett, one of the league’s biggest social activists, said on Tuesday that Seattle would have no problem adding Kaepernick.
“I think a person that’s dedicating their life to creating change, why wouldn’t you want that type of leadership in your locker room?” Bennett said on 710 ESPN Seattle. “Why wouldn’t you want a young person that’s dealt with people wanting to kill him because of his choices in life? So I don’t know why people feel like that is a problem.
“I think that Kaepernick getting the opportunity to be on our team would be really cool, would really be a good place for him because you have a coach like coach [Pete] Carroll who is up for challenges like that. You have an owner who spends and gives back to the homeless. You’ve got players on your team that give back in the community. You’ve got Russell Wilson, who shows that our team is built around community. So this is a perfect place for him.”
During a Monday interview on the same radio station, Carroll acknowledged that the Seahawks are looking at Kaepernick and Robert Griffin III, among others.
Several members of the Seahawks, including Bennett, Cliff Avril, Doug Baldwin, and Jeremy Lane showed support for Kaepernick, who came under fire for kneeling during the national anthem, his way of protesting injustice against minorities.
Lane also took a knee during Seattle’s final preseason game, and the entire Seahawks team linked arms in unity during the anthem in-season.
“I think he would be very good in our locker room,” Bennett said. “I don’t know why he wouldn’t. I think we all talk about the same issues. It’s just that he had the courage to be able to step up, and I get it.”
There are reports that Kaepernick will not kneel this season, should he be signed to a roster.
Bennett believes Kaepernick would be a fit both off-field and on-field.
“I think you look at the things he’s done over the years, on this team, we’re a running-based offense, and [to] be able to play the [read] option would give him a lot of opportunities to be able to be a featured player in the NFL again,” he said. “I think we’ve got a great system, great players and we’ve got Russell, who’s won a lot of games too. So it’d be good for him.”
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