Which NFL teams would fare better with Colin Kaepernick as QB1 in 2022?
Colin Kaepernick is back on the NFL free agent trail in 2022. He is aiming to resurrect a career that was cut short following the 2016 season due to a lack of interest from owners to sign the polarizing passer.
Colin Kaepernick, who last played football in 2016, the same year he started kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial injustice, is scheduled to work out this week for the Las Vegas Raiders, league sources told ESPN.
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Of course, that stemmed from controversial comments made by Kaepernick about the police, as well as a declining performance on the field for the San Francisco 49ers.
Kaepernick became someone that NFL front offices were afraid to sign because of the potential backlash. But the passage of time - and plenty of social justice pushes (some being violent) across the country - has softened the league's stance on the quarterback getting another chance.
Well, now that he has completed a free agent workout with the Las Vegas Raiders, the NFL world is talking realistically about which teams he could contribute for, and perhaps, even start on.
Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio had quite the hot take pertaining to Kaepernick starting in 2022, saying that up to five teams would benefit from replacing their current QB with Kap.
"Colin Kaepernick, with time to knock off the rust and prepare, would be better than any option the Seahawks, Panthers, and Texans currently have. He'd be better than any QB (sorry TuAnon) that the Dolphins currently have. He'd possibly win the job in Atlanta, too."
Colin Kaepernick, with time to knock off the rust and prepare, would be better than any option the Seahawks, Panthers, and Texans currently have. He'd be better than any QB (sorry TuAnon) that the Dolphins currently have. He'd possibly win the job in Atlanta, too.
Can Kaepernick actually help any NFL team fare better in 2022, compared to how they will do with their incumbent starter?
Colin Kaepernick would be a good fit in Seattle and Texas
Florio was, potentially, going over the top in stating that the Panthers, the Falcons, and (especially) the Dolphins would be better off with Kaepernick this season. All three teams have young options under center who should get their reps this season, which isn't expected to bring an immediate turnaround though.
Saying that Kaepernick is a better option than Tua Tagovaiola was pure clickbait, but Carolina and Atlanta don't have the tools for anyone to be successful at the position, let alone an inactive QB for the past five years.
With that said, the Texans and Seahawks do represent teams that have very little to offer in 2022. Either franchise would immediately generate 100x more interest with a Colin Kaepernick signing.
For Seattle, Pete Carroll would be betting on Kaepernick having a higher ceiling than Geno Smith. The latter has been largely unsuccessful throughout his career but had a strong showing in three games last season.
Of course, Drew Lock looms as a backup option, but he lacks the pedigree of both. Carroll possibly knows that this is a six-win team at best, so signing Kaepernick would, at least, boost business for a franchise that, like the other 31, suffered major losses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Houston would similarly get a boost from a financial perspective, but they also don't have a better QB option. Davis Mills didn't move the needle much at all in 2022, but for some reason has the vote of confidence from head coach Lovie Smith. Kyle Allen may actually be the better option for Houston, but if you're going for either of them, you have room for Colin Kaepernick.
Even if Kap doesn't win the starting job at either destination, neither the Seahawks nor Texans have much of an excuse not to, at least, consider signing him to a 'prove-it' deal.