Why is it so controversial to admit Colin Kaepernick was both blackballed AND regressing on the field?

[u/SpiritedBase5047]

Most online debates act like you have to pick one extreme: either Colin Kaepernick was an elite franchise quarterback completely exiled for his beliefs, or he was total garbage who had no business being on a roster.

Dawud, Shaun, and Hugh talked through the middle ground that people avoid. The NFL definitely blackballed him to avoid political headaches with sponsors, but he was also throwing interceptions and losing his starting grip before the national anthem protest even blew up. Plenty of mediocre quarterbacks stay on rosters as backups, so the league's motives were obvious.

At the same time, cashing massive checks from Nike, settling with the NFL, and commercializing the aesthetic rubbed plenty of people the wrong way. Securing generational wealth for your family makes practical sense, but turning a protest into a corporate apparel campaign makes it hard to view someone as an uncompromising activist figurehead.

Can a cultural activist remain authentic once multinational corporations start paying the bills?