The current NFL season is only a few weeks old, but it’s already packed with off-field controversy and on-field hope for Bay Area fans.

The nation’s attention is focused on a backup quarterback’s off-field narrative instead of his on-field play. The Colin Kaepernick national anthem controversy is really a small example of the state of the union.

Have a poofy hairdo, send mean tweets, make racially divisive comments, and your popularity will soar.

In this “with me or against me” election season, Kaepernick managed to strike a chord with America by refusing to stand for the national anthem in protest of social injustice and police brutality against African Americans.

America is taking sides, and everyone from President Obama to Kid Rock to Cal High football coach Eric Billeci has weighed in on the matter.

“It’s disrespectful and if you don’t like what’s going on you should leave the country,” Billeci said. “He’s only hurting himself and the Niners.”

By the end of the 2015 49ers season, fans couldn’t give away $200 tickets to games at the shiny new stadium in Santa Clara. The 49ers lackluster 5-11 season chased head coach Jim Tomsula out of town, and Kaepernick went from hero to zero.

Fast forward to 2016. Kaepernick is the most hated quarterback since Tom Brady was caught deflating his balls. And he doesn’t even play.

On the field, the 49ers aren’t much better than last season, but they have a better coach in Chip Kelly.  After a successful college coaching career with the Oregon Ducks, he made the jump to the NFL in 2013 when he was hired by the Philadelphia Eagles.

He turned a 4-12 Eagles team into a 10-6 NFC Eastern division champion in 2013.  Fickle Eagles fans and the team’s owner ran him out of town after he abused his general manager powers, making some unpopular roster moves and steering the 2015 Eagles to a 7-9 record.

Did they give up on a NFL coaching genius too soon?  49er fans hope so, but some aren’t convinced. Loyal 49er fan and senior Kris Whitney has many doubts about this season.

“The 49ers will not do as good as I hope they do because they still have Kaepernick,” said Whitney, whose favorite player is recently retired offensive lineman Anthony Davis.

The 49ers stunned many with a 28-0 shutout win over the Los Angeles Rams in the Monday night season opener on Sept. 12, but the team came crashing back to Earth with losses on the road to Carolina and Seattle the last two weeks.

Across the bay, always optimistic Raider fans might have a reason to be so this season.

Some of the members of Cal’s freshman class weren’t alive the last time the Raiders made the playoffs in 2002.  But that hasn’t stopped the Raider Nation from filling up the third-oldest and crummiest stadium in the league.

Despite the loyal fans, Raider’s owner Mark Davis wants to move his team out of the Oakland market.

But instead of going back to Los Angeles, where the team moved in the early 1980s, this time ownership wants to gamble on Las Vegas as the team’s new home.

A lot of questions remain to be answered before that happens. Will the Las Vegas residents really fork up $750 million to help pay for the proposed $1.9 billion stadium? Will Las Vegas accept Davis into the city with that ridiculous bowl haircut? Or will they remain in the decaying Oakland Coliseum?

On the field, the Raiders have much to be excited about, especially after their 2-1 start.

Quarterback Derek Carr seems to be the perfect hard-nosed fit for the intimidating Silver & Black, and defensive end and linebacker Khalil Mack could soon be the best defensive player in the league.

“They are going to do better than the past because they have a solid lineup,” said junior Fletcher Silva, who plays left guard for Cal’s varsity football team. “They won’t make it to the Super Bowl this season but maybe in the future.”

Both the Raiders and 49ers have their intriguing story lines this season. Unfortunately, neither involves what happens in-between the sidelines.

Kaepernick will continue to be a distraction, but the 49ers certainly can’t cut him now without major backlash from many fans because his jersey is now the top seller among NFL fans, not just 49er fans.

Will Davis make the same dumb mistake that his late father did when he moved the team to Los Angeles in 1982?  If he does, he better beware of passionate fans like sophomore Isosa Ona, who sharply explained her plan to get them to stay.

“I would write a petition and start a war!” Ona said.