After five seasons entirely out of football, former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is back in action. Or at least, close to it. After working out with the Las Vegas Raiders on Wednesday, there’s a chance Kaepernick starts receiving more looks around the NFL.
According to both Ian Rapoport and Jeremy Fowler, the workout went well, with Colin K’s trademark arm strength showing up in spades. Another positive was his conditioning, which reportedly was better than expected.
While he’s been staying in football shape, training on his own for the past five years, it appears as though Kaepernick hasn’t lost his abilities that helped lead the 49ers to two NFC Championship games, and being just four points away from a Super Bowl victory.
Chances are, the Raiders workout won’t be his last. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, two other teams were interested in bringing in Kaepernick for a workout before the Raiders did.
If the Raiders don’t quickly sign Kaepernick over the next few days, here are three other teams who should sign Colin K.
Related: 3 reasons Colin Kaepernick makes perfect sense for the Las Vegas Raiders
Dan Campbell takes a chance on Kaepernick
Heading into the 2022 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions were a popular pick to potentially make a splash move, selecting another QB to push Jared Goff to a higher level. The draft came and went and the Lions didn’t do squat at the position, choosing to stick with Goff, Tim Boyle and David Blough.
Needless to say, if Goff goes down, there’s no future at the position, with another player ready to take the keys to the offense in the Motor City.
Having Colin Kaepernick on hand would change that in an instant. Plus Dan Campbell recently played in the league, meaning he likely has a strong sense of his locker room and just how Kaepernick could lead a team under the right circumstances.
With Kaepernick’s added athletic ability, he would also present another element to the Lions’ offense that Goff simply cannot offer. Even if he doesn’t see the field, if Goff stays healthy and has a great season, Colin K. would be a solid insurance policy and a great member of the locker room.
Related: Antonio Brown blasts ‘trash’ QB Colin Kaepernick, questions charitable work
San Francisco 49ers rekindle Colin K. relationship
The one team who could sign Kaepernick and instantly spark a fanbase of existing fans from their past achievements is the San Francisco 49ers. There’s no question that Trey Lance is the future at the position in the Bay Area, but some doubts persist about his ability to be an upper-echelon QB.
Kaepernick could end up being the perfect mentor for Lance. They both have insanely strong arms and impressive running ability thanks to their athleticism. Like Lance, Kaepernick sat nearly his entire rookie season before receiving his first real opportunity in his second year.
If Lance experiences some struggles, the 49ers are unlikely to pull the plug on the No. 3 overall pick from 2021, but Kaepernick gives them an experienced hand ready to step in should an injury occur. Moving on from Jimmy Garoppolo is a matter of when at this point, which means they’ll need a better backup than Nate Sudfeld at some point.
Related: Las Vegas Raiders: What could Colin Kaepernick bring to the offense?
Los Angeles Rams add backup plan behind Matthew Stafford
The positive for Kaepernick joining a team with an established QB1 like Matthew Stafford is that there’d be no quarterback controversy. Yet, obviously with a Super Bowl team like the Los Angeles Rams, should an injury occur to their top dog, trouble would be afoot.
Kaepernick has played in several big games in his career, which likely means the LA lights wouldn’t be too much for him, and he’d likely be more comfortable stepping into sudden playing time.
Right now, if Stafford missed a serious stretch of games, the Rams can likely kiss a playoff appearance goodbye, but having Kaepernick around would give them a fighting chance. It’s definitely worth a look.