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LeSean McCoy thinks Colin Kaepernick Not Worth the Distraction

Bills running back LeSean McCoy gives his take on NFL players making protests during the national anthem before games. 

ORCHARD PARK, NY- Bills running back LeSean McCoy has never been afraid to speak his mind. Thursday afternoon after practice Two On Your Side's Stu Boyar asked McCoy for his take on NFL players protesting during the play of the national anthem before games.

"This is a lot going on with this whole Kaepernick situation," McCoy said. "In this country, you can believe what you want. Freedom of speech. If guys want to stand, they can stand. I think maybe they can choose a better platform to state their beliefs. One thing I learned about just here in America is that people, they're followers. There's some that you may ask about these different topics, but they'll say what they heard, not what actually know, even with the Kaepernick situation. It's a lot more than just, 'He's not on the team because he doesn't want to stand for the national anthem.' That may have something to do with it, but I think also it has a lot to do with his play. I'm sure a lot of teams wouldn't want him as their starting quarterback. That chaos that comes along with it, it's a lot. As a team, trying to win and not have a distraction on the team, I just take that as a player - there's certain players that could be on the team with big distractions, and there's other players that it's not good enough or not worth it. I think his situation is not good enough to have him on the team with all the attention that comes along with it. I'm sure if a guy like Brady or a guy like whoever is your favorite player - Odell Beckham or a guy like that - you'll deal with that attention and play him. With certain guys, it's not worth it. It's all what you believe in. I kind of stay out of it because everybody has their own beliefs and what they believe in. It is what it is.

"You just got to look at all sides, like if I'm an owner or the GM of a team, do I want to put him on my team? Is he good enough to be on the squad, to even deal with everything that's going on? That's something that I don't really partake in."

McCoy said a lot depends on who the player is who is doing the protesting.

Take a guy like Micahel Vick who went through all that he went through," McCoy said. "He's 10 times better than Kaeperenick. So you'll deal with that situation. You'll deal with that attention the media aspect of it, the good and the bad attention to it, compared to Kaepernick. He's really not that good of a player, you know what I'm saying, to deal with. But people outside of sports don't really know that. They see only one side of football, you know, when a guy stands up for what he believes in, the NFL's against him. I think there's more than that. I think it has to do with some of that. And also, I mean, dealing with him with a team trying to build together. There's so many outsiders can mess up a team. I can see both sides. But i just think a guy like him, a great example you used for Michael Vick, and I was on that team. And I haven't seen more media for a player like that ever. And we'll deal with a guy like Michael Vick or LeBron James. You're going to deal with them, that attention good or bad, positive or negative, compared to a guy like Kaepernick, who's just OK. He's an OK player, you know. He might not make certain teams. But them guys I talked about, they're going to make them teams. They're going to be the star of the teams. It is what it is, man."

McCoy and the Bills play the Ravens in Baltimore Saturday night in the third game of the preseason.

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