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Fact check: The media narrative really underplays the fact that Colin Kaepernick performed very poorly as a QB during his final year as a starting QB in the NFL.
1. Summary of the results
The claim about Kaepernick's poor performance requires significant nuance. While statistical evidence shows a clear decline from his peak performance in 2012 (passer rating of 99.9) to 2015 (78.8) [1] [1], his career trajectory is more complex. His 2015 season indeed showed concerning numbers with a 59.0% completion rate and a 2-6 record as starter [1]. However, he demonstrated improvement in his final season, throwing 16 touchdowns with only 4 interceptions and achieving a quarterback rating above 90 [2].
2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints
Several crucial contextual elements are missing from the original statement:
- Kaepernick was historically a "game manager with explosive play potential" rather than a traditional QB, and his struggles coincided with overall team decline and increased pressure [3]
- His 2016 season showed marked improvement from 2015, suggesting his career wasn't on a simple downward trajectory [2]
- He was benched at the start of 2016 but returned to starting position in Week 6 during what was already considered a "lost season" for the 49ers [2]
3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement
The original statement presents several problematic elements:
- It oversimplifies a complex career trajectory by focusing solely on poor performance metrics while ignoring his improvement in his final season [2]
- It ignores team context by not acknowledging that his performance decline coincided with broader team issues [3]
- The framing of "media narrative" suggests a political angle, when the statistical evidence shows both decline AND improvement at different points [1] [2]
This type of narrative often benefits those who wish to delegitimize Kaepernick's later activism by focusing solely on his athletic performance, while ignoring the complexity of his career statistics and team context.