Matt Flynn on Colin Kaepernick's status: 'Get your money while you can'
Matt Flynn, who knows a thing or two about making money in the NFL, weighed in on Colin Kaepernick's reported decision to decline a pay cut, despite his chance to play for the Broncos.
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It's not often Matt Flynn is regarded as an expert quarterback. He is, however, an expert in making money as a quarterback, considering his career earnings exceed $19 million despite starting seven career games.
So, let's check in with Flynn and get his opinion on the Colin Kaepernick situation. As it's currently being reported, Kaepernick won't take a significant paycut to make a 49ers-Broncos deal possible.
Matt Flynn approves of Kaepernick's decision.
"It's a tough situation. I know that as a player you always have to get your money while you can," Flynn told Fox Sports. "Teams are going to get their money when they can. That's just business. You just have to get it when it's there."
Flynn went on to talk about other factors -- like how it's important to remember Kaepernick might view the 49ers and Broncos differently than others. But, again, it comes back to the money.
"You have to," Flynn said of getting paid. "The window is so short in the NFL. If you get offered a contract out there, I'm all for players getting big deals. For a large percentage of the guys out there, they don't get to that point. Teams are always going to make their money and a lot of players don't reap the benefits of that."
All jokes about Flynn's financial success aside, he makes a good point. It's an opinion Matt Bowen -- a former NFL player and current ESPN writer -- also made on Monday when he wrote about the issue:
It's one thing for Peyton Manning to take a pay cut going into last season after stockpiling over $200 million in his career. I can understand that ... sort of. But Kaepernick, who spent three seasons playing on a cheap rookie deal, isn't in that same stratosphere. Hand over $4.9 million? Nah. That's about 41 percent of his $11.9 million salary for this upcoming season -- the same salary that was just guaranteed on April 1.
No one does that, right? I'm talking about pro ball players -- and the guy who works at IBM or teaches high school English. Would you take a 41 percent pay cut to go work somewhere else? I wouldn't. A better situation? Not for that price. Forget that talk about playing for rings and wins. That doesn't apply here when discussing this type of cash.
The bottom line: Kaepernick probably shouldn't be chastised for wanting the money that he's supposed to receive. With that being said, some former NFL players don't see it that way.
