Kaepernick's Return?

It's pathetic that 2020 could be Colin Kaepernick's best chance to return to the NFL. It's pathetic because his best chance to play should've been in 2017. Based on how he played in 2016 he should've had a job in 2017. Anybody that thought differently then and thinks differently now doesn't know football. David Fales had a quarterback job in the NFL in 2017. And every year since. He'd thrown five career passes in zero starts prior to the Miami Dolphins giving him a quarterback job in the first year that Kaepernick couldn't find one. No offense to Fales. I wish nothing but the best for the former Monterey Peninsula College star. Dozens of modestly talented quarterbacks were handed quarterback jobs in the years that NFL teams barred Kaepernick from their game. He couldn't get a job for reasons other than football. Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said as much when he said that his team wouldn't sign Kaepernick because he should be a starter. I always thought that getting better was the objective of a football team. If your backup quarterback is starter quality your team is better for having him. Did Carroll think that he was doing Kaepernick a favor by not giving him a shot a job? The fact that some teams are considering signing him now is further proof that he was barred from the game the past three years for reasons other than football. It's fairly safe to say that his athletic potential was greater in 2017 than it is three years later. So, here we are. 2020 has been a messed-up year but apparently some stubborn eyes have been opened. Colin Kaepernick getting a quarterback job in the NFL could happen. It's certainly a hot topic. CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin wrote a column ranking eight potential landing spots for the quarterback.

1. Baltimore Ravens

2. Houston Texans

3. Jacksonville Jaguars

4. Kansas City Chiefs

5. Los Angeles Chargers

6. Minnesota Vikings

7. Philadelphia Eagles

8. Tennessee Titans

I'd remove the Chargers and Eagles from the list simply because they used top draft picks on quarterbacks. Adding Colin Kaepernick to the mix would take needed opportunities away from Justin Herbert and Jalen Hurts. Especially Herbert. 

Of course, it's #6 that grabbed my attention. I wouldn't mind seeing the Vikings giving Kaepernick a shot for a variety of reasons. The most significant reason being that if anything were to happen to Kirk Cousins I'd rather see Kaepernick leading the offense than Sean Mannion. It'd also be pretty cool to have a player from my hometown on the Vikings.   

One team that I'd add to the list is the Seahawks. I'd add the Seahawks for a simple reason. Geno Smith. The only obstacle would probably be Carroll having to walk back his idiotic excuse of two years ago. 

My ranking of potential landing spots for Colin Kaepernick looks something like this:

1. Tennessee Titans

2. Seattle Seahawks

3. Baltimore Ravens

4. Houston Texans

5. Minnesota Vikings

6. Jacksonville Jaguars

I like Tennessee as the top landing spot simply because of what they went through last year. The Titans experienced the importance of having a quarterback-in-waiting that can play. Right now, Logan Woodside and Cole McDonald populate the depth chart behind Ryan Tannehill. 

Hopefully, we'll see Colin Kaepernick competing for an NFL quarterback job this summer. Something that should've happened three years ago.