Cam Newton came to Colin Kaepernick's defense in a strong way Tuesday, saying the unemployed quarterback is "absolutely" better than some current starters in the league and deserves a roster spot.
"I really think it's not fair. I think it's unfair," said Newton, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. "But not to take any storm or glory away from this game, we're trying to find every way to the beat the 49ers come Sunday. But in my opinion, do I think Kaepernick is better than some of these starting quarterbacks in this league? Absolutely. Should he be on a roster? In my opinion, absolutely. There's no question about it. Is he good enough to be on a roster? Is he good enough to be a starting quarterback? Absolutely. But our main focus right now is to try and beat the 49ers on Sunday."
Newton isn't the first big-name quarterback to speak out in support of Kaepernick as the start of the season looms and he remains without a team.
Aaron Rodgers said last week that he believes Kaepernick's national anthem protests during the 2016 campaign is keeping him from being signed.
"I think he should be on a roster right now. I think because of his protests, he's not," said Rodgers.
Despite saying he wouldn't continue his protests, Kaepernick has received little attention from teams. He visited with the Seattle Seahawks in May, but the team opted to sign journeyman Austin Davis instead.
Kaepernick's continued unemployment has led some to suggest he's being blackballed by the league.
