Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has submitted a letter outlining his desire to join the New York Jets practice squad.

The 35-year-old Kaepernick approached Joe Douglas, the general manager of the New York Jets, following the season-ending injury of four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers, who tore his Achilles in the first quarter of their opening game of the year.

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Hip-hop icon J.Cole posted the letter on social media, where Kaepernick made his case for the Jets to take him seriously in his effort to return to the league after a seven-year absence. After the 2016 campaign, he started kneeling before games to denounce police brutality against Black people in America, which marked the beginning of his free agency.

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Kaepernick in the letter said, “I would be honored and extremely grateful for the opportunity to come in and lead the practice squad. I would do this with the sole mission of getting your defense ready each week.”

Kaepernick stressed that the Jets have nothing to lose by giving him a tryout and gave them the assurance that he is prepared to contribute significantly to the squad.

“In the worst situation, you’ll evaluate what I have to offer and it might not be particularly outstanding. In the best-case scenario, you’ll learn that you have a strong weapon available to you in the event that you ever need it,” Kaepernick said. In either scenario, I’m committed to making sure your defense is ready each week throughout the season, and I would take satisfaction in that duty.

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Further, he stated his readiness to help Zach Wilson, who has encountered difficulties since regaining the starting job following Rodgers’ injury, by mentoring him. Wilson’s below-par efforts throughout the first few weeks of the 2023 season have led to growing pressure from Jets supporters, who are pressing the team to look at Wilson’s options.