Atlanta Falcons could cement their spot in Civil Rights history

The sports world, where the Atlanta Falcons spend most of their time, is often a bubble.

But this year, there have been at least two issues even athletes can’t ignore: COVID-19 and protests against police brutality. And the Atlanta Falcons now have the chance to cement their legacy among NFL teams.

It’s simple — sign Colin Kaepernick. He could help with their football needs and Civil Rights duties. When Kaepernick first started kneeling, he sent the League into an uproar. He was unpatriotic, disrespecting the flag, in fact, the President called athletes who were kneeling “sons of b****es.”

And that included Grady Jarrett who is a pillar in his community and solid role model. We also saw the Falcons quasi-protest as a team and link arms before a game one Sunday. But all of this happened while Kaepernick was being blackballed.

Last year, when Kaepernick held his workout in Atlanta, Blogging Dirty (it was me, I was the writer) said the Falcons should stay away from it. We (and by we, I mean I) called it a media circus and whatever else at the time.

But fast forward a couple years. Commissioner of the NFL Roger Goodell said himself, the League was wrong to not listen to its players. He all but stopped short of telling Kaepernick he was sorry. Which, he owes him an apology for sure. But let’s look at the Falcons football needs.

Matt Schaub is 38 and is all but done. He offers no unique skill set that Matt Ryan has. Kaepernick is 32, is athletic, and represents a dual threat under center. In this day and age, an athletic quarterback that can stretch a defense and come in and offer a little change of pace.

Also, the former 49ers quarterback has actually won big games. The man can play and he’s been staying in shape. He’s no more of a health risk than Todd Gurley’s knee.

But if that doesn’t do it for you, look at the team. The Atlanta Falcons. The team that plays in the cradle of the Civil Rights movement. The birthplace of Martin Luther King, Jr. You’ve heard it all before. In fact, Atlanta’s Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms spoke to the team last week and Matt Ryan even pledged half a million dollars to improve his community.

Sometimes, teams can and should take a stand beyond football. Kaepernick could be signed as a younger backup quarterback and make the Falcons better on the field. But the Atlanta Falcons could also forever etch themselves into Civil Right immortality by taking a stand when no other team will.

And they’ve got a history to look back on to learn how.