Michael Vick Says Colin Kaepernick's Hair 'Has Nothing to Do' with QB's Status

Longtime NFL quarterback Michael Vick posted a statement on social media Tuesday after receiving criticism for comments he made about free-agent QB Colin Kaepernick needing to cut his hair.

On Monday, Vick appeared on Fox Sports 1's Speak For Yourself‏ and said the "first thing" the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback needed to do was trim his hair. Vick clarified Tuesday he doesn't believe the haircut is why Kaepernick hasn't found a team yet:

The 37-year-old retired playmaker went through a period of being forced to prove himself to NFL teams after spending time in prison for his role in a dog-fighting ring. He earned an opportunity with the Philadelphia Eagles and was named Comeback Player of the Year in 2010.

Kaepernick's situation is far different. He's received backlash for his decision to kneel for the national anthem last season, and some of his fellow players, including Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, believe he's being "blackballed" for his method of protest, per Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com.

"I'm sure he is," Sherman said on First Take in March. "It's difficult to see because he's played at such a high level, and you see guys, quarterbacks, who have never played at a high level being signed by teams. So it's difficult to understand. Obviously he's going to be in a backup role at this point. But you see quarterbacks, there was a year Matt Schaub had a pretty rough year and got signed the next year. So it has nothing to do with football. You can see that. They signed guys who have had off years before."

In June, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com noted NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell downplayed that line of thinking, saying teams would sign him if they felt the quarterback could improve their roster.

"[I]f they see an opportunity to get better as a football team, they're going to do it," he said. "They're going to do whatever it takes to make their football team better. So those are football decisions. They're made all the time. I believe that if a football team feels that Colin Kaepernick, or any other player, is going to improve that team, they're going to do it."

Meanwhile, Kaepernick‏ posted a message Tuesday about Stockholm syndrome on Twitter after Vick's comments generated headlines:

Although Kaepernick's continued availability remains one of the league's top stories, the bottom line is still the same: NFL training camps are set to kick off this week, and he's still a free agent with no sign that status is going to change in the immediate future.