Former Ravens quarterback and current ESPN analyst Trent Dilfer had one of the more polarizing takes on Colin Kaepernick’s now-famous decision not to stand for the National Anthem. Dilfer said because Kaepernick is the 49ers’ backup quarterback, he should not have drawn attention to himself. Instead, he should have focused on his job—getting the starting quarterback, Blaine Gabbert, ready to play.
“Although I respect what he’s doing, and I respect the passion and burden he has for this issue, a massive issue, I do not respect the fact that he put himself and his stance above his team, because he’s not the only one that’s passionate about big social issues,” Dilfer said.
Naturally, a lot of people disagreed with Dilfer and felt Kaepernick was right to stage a protest, no matter how it would impact his team. Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe weighed in on Dilfer’s take on their new show, Undisputed.
Bayless, who has been extremely public in his defense of Kaepernick, made an especially strong case against Dilfer.
While Bayless is known for saying anything to get a rise out of people and grab headlines, this was an unusually articulate, thought-out response. Credit to Skip.
It's unlikely we'll see Dilfer respond. ESPN PR will probably tell him to drop the topic.
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