Report: Kaepernick Has His Eyes on an NFL Job That Just Opened Up
When the Miami Dolphins traded away nominal starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill to the Tennessee Titans, it opened a gaping maw at the quarterback position.
According to the Dolphins website, the only quarterbacks on the roster in the immediate aftermath of the Tannehill trade are possible gas station attendant Luke Falk and likely Cracker Barrel server Jake Ruddock.
Given that the Dolphins have the 13th selection in the upcoming NFL Draft, it’s not clear if one of the top quarterback prospects will be available to them at that slot. Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray will almost certainly not fall out to the top 10, and it’s unlikely that Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins falls past some of the quarterback-needy franchises picking ahead of Miami.
And with Teddy Bridgewater opting to return to the New Orleans Saints, the free agent market for quarterback is rather desolate as well.
Given all of that, what’s a franchise who hasn’t had a true star behind center since Dan Marino retired to do?
The answer, clearly, isn’t to hand the reins over to a glorified backup quarterback who has been far more dramatic than productive in recent years.
And yet, given the scarcity of actual NFL quarterbacks available currently, the Dolphins may not have much choice but to reach out to the polarizing Colin Kaepernick to helm their struggling franchise.
And if they do, Kaepernick is apparently quite interested in playing for Miami, at least according to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora.
Reached out to source close to @Kaepernick7 and asked if he was interested in filling Miami QB vacancy. Was told “yes, he’s training hard and ready to play” could get interesting
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) March 15, 2019
La Canfora notes that after reaching out to a Kaepernick source, it was confirmed to him that the former 49ers quarterback is “ready to play.”
La Canfora also notes that things “could get interesting,” which is fairly standard fare for a reporter trying to hedge their bets. But as outlined above, there is certainly a framework for Kaepernick to return to professional football.
Granted, Kaepernick has already had a chance to return to professional football but was too busy making outlandish contractual demands with the AAF and the XFL to actually come close to playing football again.
If Kaepernick is as dead-set on returning to the NFL, and only the NFL, the Dolphins might very well be his best chance.
One thing worth noting, however, is that Kaepernick could’ve already alienated much of that Miami fanbase.
Surprisingly, it’s got nothing to do with the anthem protests. No, Kaepernick drew the ire of the Miami community, which has quite a bit of Cuban representation, by donning a shirt emblazoned with the brutal Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.
Kaepernick’s “Know Your Rights” campaign for America’s youth features statements such as, “You have a right to be free,” “You have a right to be safe.” Noble sentiments! It’s just a shame that Fidel Castro never honored them.https://t.co/kKPy6Y7my5 pic.twitter.com/rf9lDkw2Xd
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) September 4, 2018
Whoops.
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