(SP) – Colin Kaepernick’s long wait to get another NFL job is over. The former 49ers quarterback has agreed to one of the biggest contracts in NFL history just hours after getting a short haircut.
“We are excited to have a player of Colin’s abilities with this organization,” Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said today. “I think he’s where he needs to be in his personal life, obviously having made some needed changes upon getting hair tips from Michael Vick. Now we’re just going to put him out there to help us win games.”
Kaepernick said he plans to give much of his newfound wealth to charity, but also will reserve some for Vick.
“Let’s be honest, if it wasn’t for Mike Vick telling me to cut my hair, my football career would be over,” said Kaepernick. “I owe it all to him. I didn’t know that teams simply felt my hair was too lengthy, especially because many star players have had long hair. I asked if maybe I could keep the length and maybe style it in a slightly different way. But cutting it was the only solution.”
The years and dollar commitment to Kaepernick shows that Belichick and the Patriots see him as their quarterback of the future post-Tom Brady.
“As much as Tom has accomplished on the field, it will be nice to have a quarterback who is a role model for kids,” said team owner Robert Kraft. “The cheating, the children with different women, the lying, the quack nutritional supplements … heck, there was even a shooting at his wedding. That’s not the kind of player or distraction that most teams want. We’re glad to add a clean-cut player like Colin Kaepernick.”
