I have asked the same question in different ways, and the Kaepernick champions have yet to come up with an answer that actually supports their position of some large number of teams who could have used Kaepernick, and there, therefore, being an obvious conspiracy (and I don't say that there's not one. I just say that one's not needed to end up with Kaepernick being unemployed in the NFL). So, you try it:
Given the situation of the league, and the teams, at the beginning of this season, now, and moving forward, where would Kaepernick make sense, and where would have have made sense earlier in the season?
- For example: he makes absolutely no sense in New England, where Brady's the #1, Hoyer knows the system and is a quality backup, and Kaepernick's game is the opposite of the offensive system the Patriots play. And, obviously, he would have made no sense when JAG was in N.E., either.
- Second example: he would have made sense in Buffalo for this season where, as a backup QB, he would have fit a little more of what Taylor does, and would have been an improvement on that disastrous backup situation. Important to note here, however, that Buffalo's system has changed with the new coaches, and that Taylor will almost certainly be gone next year (they don't really even run a Taylor friendly offense there now, nevermind moving forward), as the Bills will look to bring their system all the way into line with the new coaching philosophy, so Kaepernick would have been looking at a 1 year stint as a backup, and then being back on the street again.
So, I've evaluated a Zero percent scenario and a backup position possibility. Go down the list of the 29 other teams (SF was obviously not an option) and find the huge number of teams that had/have/will have a Kaepernick friendly situation, as either a starter or backup.
I'll give it a shot.
Imagining a world where Colin Kaepernick is the same bad QB he's been the past three seasons but is as politically inoffensive or unknown as, say, Tyrod Taylor, here are the places he would have been at least looked at this season.
1. Jacksonville. The QB is a turd and the game plan is to make the QB throw as little as possible. The backup is Chad Henne, who I wasn't sure was still alive. Compete for starting job.
2. Houston. After Watson goes down, BOB is stuck with Tom Savage again. Backup is TJ Yates. Compete for starting job.
3. Denver. QB position is complete disaster and has brought down the once great defense. Will be on QB #3 with Lynch starting. Compete for starting job.
4. Green Bay. With Rodgers down the backup is completely ineffective. Bad line play now apparent. A QB whose main skill is running for his life may be an improvement. Compete for starting job.
5. Indianapolis. Unless they like Brissette for a starting job going forward, or think they can trade him for an asset, they could have brought in Kaep to placeholder the team and kept Dorsett or traded him for another asset. In any case better than Scott Tolzien. Compete for starting job.
6. Arizona. When Palmer went down, they gave two starts to Drew Stanton who put up a 48.4% completion percentage. Stanton now hurt, and job's in old nemesis Blaine Gabbert's hands. Compete for starting job.
7. Miami. Perhaps Kaepernick would have been better than luring Jay Cutler from broadcast booth? Compete for starting job.
8. Baltimore. In the preseason Flacco's back was hurting and Mallett put up a what was described as a total meltdown in practice. QB position looked particularly bleak, they signed a 1-AA guy at one point. Compete for backup job.
9. Carolina. Could backup mobile starting QB. Current backup is 34 year old Derek Anderson w/ career 54% completion percentage and 60/60 TD/INT ratio. Compete for backup job.
10. Tennessee. Current backup Matt Cassel has been done for five years. Kaepernick would be an improvement. Mariota is also a mobile QB, so offense won't have to change. Compete for backup job.
11. Seattle. Was talking to him earlier this year. Could backup mobile starting QB. Current backup Austin Davis an unknown. Compete for backup job.
I won't count SF, NYJ, or CLE as their plans at least some of the time seemed to be to look forward to a 2018 high pick QB. But if their plans were to try hard to win in 2017, Kaep would be a better choice to be on roster than some of their currently rostered QBs.
Now, given that Kaepernick is a political lightning rod, I understand each team's decision to stay clear. Is he so much better than Matt Cassel or Derek Anderson that a team would endure a media firestorm? No. No collusion necessary (though for entertainment's sake, I hope Kaep's lawyers find irrefutable evidence of collusion handwritten by Goodell). But I believe a non-controversial version of CK would at least be invited to compete for a clipboard holding job. He maybe would've lost out to a Matt Cassel or Derek Anderson on football merit alone, but he would've gotten a chance to compete. His stats are almost identical to Tyrod Taylor's, and Taylor is a borderline starter in the NFL, albeit a beleaguered one.
I don't deny that the reasons he doesn't have a job are actions of his own doing, and he may be sabotaging any return by demanding too much money or acting immaturely. I'm just saying his football resume would usually dictate that he'd most likely become one of those backups that would hang around the league forever who you'd forget about completely, like Mark Sanchez, except for his political activism/rabble rousing/whatever you want to call it.