According the most recent numbers available from the census bureau, there are 101,612,000 males between the ages of 15 and 64 living in the United States.
Yet there aren't 32 who can competently quarterback an NFL team.
Maybe it's time to borrow from the other sports are start a global search for talent. There are capable arms in other parts of the word, Joaquin Benoit notwithstanding.
At any given moment, at least half of those 32 NFL teams wish they had someone better to play quarterback. The Steelers must be petrified when they ponder the day when Ben Roethlisberger is retired.
All of which brings us to Colin Kaepernick, who is still unemployed as this is being typed.
Kaepernick is only 29. He's played in 69 NFL games and started 58. His resume includes a 12-4 season with the San Francisco 49ers in 2012.
His career passer rating is 88.9. By comparison, Roethlisberger's is 94.1. A couple of the Steelers' more recent backups are well below Kaepernick's number in that department -- Charlie Batch was 76.4 and Bruce Gradkowski was 65.8.
Yet Kaepernick can't get a job.
The issue, of course, is the protest he staged last year, not standing when the national anthem was played. It was his way of calling attention to what he thought was racial inequality in the United States.
A lot of players followed him, but Kaepernick was the lightning rod. He's paying the price, sitting on the outside while NFL camps are warming up.
Accusations pf blackballing have been made. That's ridiculous. The NFL would never put itself in legal jeopardy by telling teams they can't sign Kaepernick. Besides, as soon as anyone told the Oakland Raiders not to do something, they'd do it.
No doubt teams are wary of the backlash that would come with signing Kaepernick. Teams aren't touching him, even though a lot of them have bad quarterbacks and the full knowledge that they're bad.
Kaepernick should not lose faith, though. Things have a way of changing when times turn desperate.
Michael Vick was a pariah because he was convicted and sentenced to prison for participating in a dog fighting ring. The Atlanta Falcons released him. But he later played for the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles because they had a need for an experienced quarterback.
When the Steelers found themselves in a sudden need for a backup, they signed Vick in 2015 and paid him nearly a million dollars.
Kaepernick's protest has left him with serious baggage, and that accounts for why he's still at home and not in a camp.
But he should keep checking his phone. Sooner or later, some team will be desperate enough for an experienced quarterback to give him a call.
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--HE'S BACK
The Pirates corrected one of their offseason mistakes by acquiring Sean Rodriguez from the Atlanta Braves on Saturday.
Rodriguez was an incredibly valuable utility player because he could not only play a number of positions, he could play them well.
After watching the misadventures of John Jaso, Jose Osuna and Adam Frazier in the outfield this season, it became apparent how much the Pirates regretted their decision to let Rodriguez leave as a free agent.
If Rodriguez is in the game, Clint Hurdle also knows he's covered at shortstop should a late-inning need arise.
Rodriguez may not do anything that's off the charts, but he's a valuable piece who gives a manager lineup flexibility.
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--RE-PETE OFFENDER
If there's a Degenerate Hall of Fame somewhere (Las Vegas would be perfect), Pete Rose should be the charter inductee.
He had 4,256 hits and made twice as many missteps off the field.
When you think protesting, "She was 16, not 14" is a good defense against statutory rape allegations, your life has truly gone off the rails.
To think people still line up to pay him $40 for an autograph.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)
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