35 NFL Players Whose Reputations Are Greater Than Their Skills

1. Colin Kaepernick

Some people will find it strange that Kaepernick is on this list because he isn’t an active player at the time of writing. However, his absence from the field has only enhanced his reputation. In fact, many non-football fans believe that he has the skills of Joe Montana or something. Of course, any self-respecting NFL fan knows that Kaepernick’s final couple of seasons with the Niners were poor.

But many people, who clearly don’t actually watch football, believe that Kaepernick should oust Patrick Mahomes or Russell Wilson. The reality of course is that he would do well to be a backup at this point in his career because he has missed so much football. In sum, it’s one of the strangest revisionist stories in the sport. By not playing, Kaepernick has created a myth and a mystique that simply doesn’t correlate with what he achieved – or didn’t – on the field.