The Seattle Seahawks are in need of a new franchise quarterback, having agreed to send theirs to the Denver Broncos.
On that score, Seattle is expected to explore trade scenarios for Houston Texan star Deshaun Watson, who has serious legal issues hanging over his head. The team also got a top-10 draft pick from Denver in the Russell Wilson deal, putting them in position to get one of the top prospects in the 2022 NFL draft class.
The Carson Wentz trade between the Indianapolis Colts and the Washington Commanders tells us alot about that class of quarterbacks, though, so the Seahawks may not be able to find a suitable potential long-term successor to Wilson this offseason – even if Liberty’s Malik Willis is there at No. 9.
One name that often gets overlooked in these situations is former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who hasn’t played since the 2016 season after being blackballed by the NFL over his social justice protests.
Kaepernick shared a workout video yesterday, renewing the conversation about his viability as a QB in this league. One person who thinks Kaepernick shouldn’t give up on playing is Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett, who shared these words of encouragement.
Never give up bro! Keep chasing your dreams! https://t.co/0LwyA3JJ61
— Tyler Lockett (@TDLockett12) March 10, 2022
Not even two years ago, Seattle was second behind Baltimore as far as the best odds to sign Kaepernick.
Pete Carroll has flirted with the idea but has copped out by claiming Kaepernick is a starter and the Seahawks have one already.
Well, that’s not the case anymore.
Seahawks fans should be as familiar with the flaws of Kaepernick’s game about as well as anyone, but they might also have a skewed picture of his abilities.
While Kaepernick had a very difficult time against the peak Legion of Boom Seattle teams he faced (many quarterbacks did), he performed well against the rest of the league. If you break down Kaepernick’s splits against the Seahawks compared to the rest, the picture becomes even clearer.
In eight games against Seattle he went just 2-6, posting a 55.61 completion rate, three touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 63.7 passer rating.
Meanwhile, Kaepernick’s overall career numbers are far more respectable. In 58 starts he went 28-30, impressive considering the roster implosion and general incompetence of the Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly years. He’s at a 59.8% completion percentage, has a 72-30 touchdown to interception ratio and a passer rating of 88.9.
This was a few years before Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen and Kyler Murray were around, but Kaepernick was also right up there with Cam Newton as far as contenders for best-rushing-QB in the NFL. He totaled 2,300 yards and 13 touchdowns on just 375 carries.
At his best, Kaepernick helped the Niners win several big playoff games – including a few epic victories over the Packers. He came a few yards short of winning a Super Bowl against a brilliant Ravens team.
Say whatever you want about Kaepernick’s age (34) or the fact that he hasn’t played the last five seasons. He still deserves a chance more than a lot of quarterbacks currently in the league, including Drew Lock.
