3 reasons why NFL teams should sign Colin Kaepernick after Michigan spring game display
Can Colin Kaepernick help a franchise win?
As the 2022 NFL season approaches, this question, which comes with plenty of strings attached, keeps re-emerging.
Of course, given his status as a former second-round draft pick that later took over the reigns from Alex Smith in his second season and helped lead the San Franscisco 49ers to Super Bowl XLVII, the question isn't solely about talent.
On the road to Super Bowl XLVII, Colin Kaepernick outdueled Aaron Rodgers in the 2012 postseason and then helped lead a late comeback in the NFC Championship game against an Atlanta Falcons squad that had a 396-yard passing performance from Matt Ryan.
Colin Kaepernick later eclipsed 4,000 total yards in 2014 with his arm and his feet.
Talent isn't the issue. Everything related to his off-field spat with the former President of the United States and his kneeling-for-the-flag stance has been seen as such, though.
Keep in mind, though, that was 2016. In the years that have followed, Colin Kaepernick suffered from his controversial viewpoints. That still shouldn't be the case in 2022.
Why NFL teams should sign Colin Kaepernick after Michigan spring game display
#1 - Colin Kaepernick still has a strong arm
Anyone saying that Colin Kaepernick didn't look impressive in his limited time throwing the ball in front of scouts probably had their minds made up before he made a single throw.
@BigTenNetworkColin Kaepernick’s final pass today today at Michigan’s Maize and Blue Spring Game.
📹 @BigTenNetwork https://t.co/y9pvu3iGZC
While, yes, there were no defenders pursuing him and he didn't have any pads or helmet on, Colin Kaepernick showed that he can still air it out with accuracy at "The Big House" in Ann Arbor.
If his lateral speed hasn't waned in the years since he last suited up for an NFL team, Kaepernick could still be a lethal threat, both in the pocket and scrambling out of it.
Clearly, time away from the field has not made him any less of a deep-threat in the passing game.
#2 - There are not 32 better backups out there
When Colin Kaepernick wanted to start for an NFL team, it was more understandable why he wasn't being employed.
His 2016 stats (his last active season) were far from terrible. With that said, 18 touchdowns and 17 turnovers wasn't exactly starter material at the time. It certainly makes it even more difficult to stomach considering five NFL seasons have been completed since and not one of them saw Kaepernick step foot on the field.
But since that stance has changed this time around, it's getting tough to justify not giving him a flyer.
Colin Kaepernick is open to accepting a back up QB role, per @JosinaAnderson https://t.co/Ekf1f8Q0JV
Colin Kaepernick understands that there may not be a coach out there willing to take a steep leap of faith in handing him the starting job. That hasn't stopped him from still working to earn one, though, should he ever receive his shot with a team as a free agent.
“I can help make you a better team,” Kaepernick said. “I can help you win games. I know right now the situation likely won’t allow me to step into a starting role. I know I’ll be able to work my way to that, though.”
And it shouldn't. There are not 32 better backup signal-callers across the country that deserve more of an opportunity than someone who has engineered an NFC Championship run in the last decade.
#3 - Colin Kaepernick deserves a chance to right his wrongs
To some, Colin Kaepernick never did anything worth keeping him out of the league for. To others, he didn't get a punishment steep enough for actions deemed offensive and disrespectful.
No matter where you land on this spectrum, you have to think that five years is a long enough time for someone to understand what they might have done wrong.
Kaepernick deserves to move on from his past and have a chance to provide for his family while playing the sport he loved enough to become a professional at.
Will anything come of this Colin Kaepernick workout? No idea. But don’t let anyone use the bs “ distraction” argument. Just reply with 2 words: DeShaun Watson… and then carry on with your day.
As Trey Wingo pointed out, Deshaun Watson is not considered the same level of "distraction" as Kaepernick, despite having several open cases regarding potential sexual misconduct with numerous accusers.
That's not to condemn Watson either, as Kaepernick has had charges brought up (and later dropped) in his own past. In 2014, he was accused of assault in a Miami hotel room, but nothing ever came of it.
The point is this: Kaepernick never did anything worthy of being blackballed by the NFL besides saying things that those running the show don't agree with.
It's high time Kaepernick is, at least, given a chance as a backup QB, especially considering the likes of Jeff Driskel, Matt Moore, Jalen McClendon, Logan Woodside, and Sean Mannion (to name a few) have been signed since.
If he continues to go unsigned, those that are advocating for his return to the league and claiming that the fix is in will have a legitimate argument.