Desperate For QB Help, Seahawks Should Strongly Consider Signing Colin Kaepernick
It's been more than five years since Colin Kaepernick last played in the NFL. Since he started in the 49ers' 25-23 loss to the Seahawks in January 2017, he has remained a free agent and ostracized by the league after protesting racial injustice and police brutality by taking a knee during the national anthem.
But at 34 years of age, even after being wrongly shut out by the entire league for half a decade, Kaepernick hasn't given up hope he will get another chance. On Thursday, he posted a video of himself dropping back and rolling out to throw the football with the caption "Still Working" on social media. A report from ESPN indicated through an unnamed source that he's in "the best shape of his life" and eager to play.
Then on Sunday, Kaepernick took to Twitter again, seeking out professional receivers to run routes and catch passes from him as he continues to prepare for whenever an opportunity presents itself. Not long after, Seahawks receiver Tyler Lockett heeded the call, volunteering himself and his brother to run routes for him.
A grateful Kaepernick quickly responded to Lockett, asking his former NFC West rival to reach out to him through direct messages to coordinate where and when they would meet to workout.
Under normal circumstances, a player who has been sidelined as long as Kaepernick wouldn't get another sniff at playing in the NFL. But as further evidenced by Lockett's quick response, the vast majority of players have long supported Kaepernick's activism and want to see him back in the league.
As it turns out, not the surprise of anyone who knows Lockett, he was a man of his word. Video surfaced on Instagram live on Monday showing Kaepernick dropping back and firing strikes to the star receiver on a high school field, a development that should not be taken lightly.
What makes Lockett's choice to voluntarily catch passes from Kaepernick even more noteworthy is the fact that his team currently is in the market for a new starting quarterback. After trading Russell Wilson to Denver last week, Seattle has been linked to Houston star Deshaun Watson and currently only has Drew Lock and Jacob Eason as quarterbacks on the roster.
Unlike the rest of the league, the Seahawks considered signing Kaepernick and brought him in for a visit in May 2017. At the time, coach Pete Carroll bizarrely told reporters that the team decided against signing him because they viewed him a starter and not a backup, believing another quarterback-needy team would eventually sign him.
“He’s a starter in this league,” Carroll told reporters. “We have a starter, but he is a starter in this league and I can’t imagine somebody won’t give him a chance to play.”
Seattle again explored signing Kaepernick a year later, but a scheduled workout initially was postponed before being cancelled altogether and he once again went unsigned. Various reports indicated the workout was postponed with the veteran quarterback because he wouldn't commit to ending his protest during the national anthem, though that claim was disputed by Carroll.
When Kaepernick last played, he threw 16 touchdowns compared to just four interceptions while being surrounded by one of the worst supporting casts in the NFL. If he still moves well and hasn't lost his touch throwing the football, there's no question he could add to Seattle's quarterback competition. Having led San Francisco to a Super Bowl and another NFC Championship game, he's a far more proven commodity than Lock, who lost his starting job to Teddy Bridgewater a year ago.
While it's debatable whether or not Kaepernick could still play in the NFL after such a long time away from the game, the Seahawks don't have many options to help fill the void left by Wilson's departure and their previous interest suggests they value the player's talent. Assuming they won't fork over a boatload of draft picks for Watson, few other viable veterans remain available and this year's draft class isn't viewed as a strong one at the quarterback position.
Considering their situation, what would the Seahawks have to lose by signing Kaepernick to a one-year deal with a chance to compete against Lock and/or an incoming rookie quarterback? What's the worst thing that could possibly happen?
Even if Kaepernick doesn't have it anymore, after missing the chance to make a strong statement by signing him on earlier occasions, Seattle would still look good for giving him the opportunity to battle for a roster spot when nobody else would. But if he can still play and manages to win the job, with him playing on a cheap contract, the team could be far more competitive than anticipated in the NFC West while grooming a quarterback of the future behind him.
Based on Sunday's developments on social media, Kaepernick appears to have an important ally in his corner in Lockett. After working out together, the respected star receiver may try to persuade the organization to consider making the blackballed quarterback's long-awaited comeback a reality in the Pacific Northwest.
