San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jeremy Kerley doesn't have a whole lot of respect for his former Jets offensive coordinator, Chan Gaily. SiriusXM NFL Radio shared the receiver's thoughts regarding his former coach.
Two men who Kerley does have a lot of respect for are his new head coach and his former quarterback. Kerley talked to hosts Alex Marvez and Phil Savage about the two during the recent interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio.
Colin Kaepernick, a starter for the 49ers in each of the past five seasons, threw 38 of Kerley's 64 receptions in 2016. The 64 receptions for 667 yards and three touchdowns led the team on an offense that ranked last in passing. It was also a career-high for the receiver.
There has been much debate on whether or not Kaepernick is being blackballed by the league for his protest of the national anthem during the 2016 season.
"Everybody is kind of going with emotion," Kerley said of the topic. "If one team denies him, now another team does and another team does. It's kind of a cycle. All these guys talk to each other."
Kerley isn't often asked about his former quarterback. It's something he wishes more people would do.
"I wish they would," Kerley said. "I would speak very highly of him. First, if you don't stand for something then you don't stand for nothing. He spoke up about a subject at a time where maybe just the right people weren't stepping up. He did it, he stood behind it. He made the sacrifice that maybe not a lot of guys would have made knowing that the consequences would be what they were."
While Kerley would not comment on whether or not he agrees with Kaepernick, he did share his respect for the quarterback and his commitment to his cause.
"He's been a man of his word," Kerley said. "He still gives back. He's promoting change. Do I agree with it? Who's to say. Everybody goes about their business a different way. But do I have much, much respect for him? Hell yeah."
Kerley was one of the few pending free agents brought back by the 49ers' new regime. In March, he signed a three-year deal to return. Kerley also shared his admiration for his new head coach, Kyle Shanahan.
"I see why a lot of people love Kyle," Kerley said. "He is a good coach and great teacher. It's one thing to help guys learn an offense. It's another to be involved and taking your time in breaking certain things down. Most wouldn't.
"He definitely understands laying the foundation. He's working on that right now. I definitely think we're headed in the right direction."
While Shanahan was one of the reasons that Kerley decided to return to the 49ers, another was the team's rich history and the desire to remain part of that.
"My biggest thing coming back to San Fran was just finishing what I saw that was there," Kerley said. "Although a lot of guys are gone and a lot of coaches, San Fran is a great place. It's a championship (franchise). It's something I want to be a part of."
