I know, 50% of the people reading this never want to see Colin Kaepernick play another NFL down. But considering the Pittsburgh Steelers may be short a starting quarterback next season, should they consider him?
You might be upset with this answer, but yes. Colin Kaepernick might not have Super Bowl talent, but he’s still a reliable quarterback, and much more developed than Josh Dobbs will be next season.
With Ben Roethlisberger saying that he’s considering CTE in his decision on whether or not he’ll play in 2018, chances are he’ll be gone at the end of the season.
So, Mike Tomlin and Todd Haley can either give the job to a second-year player who still needs work or someone who led the San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl a few years ago.
Here’s the slight issue. Kaepernick likely isn’t going to win anyone a Super Bowl during his career. He might get you pretty close, but he’s not going to beat Tom Brady, and he certainly isn’t going to win serious playoff games on his own.
More from Steelers News
- Steelers news: Rashard Mendenhall calls out Big Ben, Brian Flores interviews for HC job, and more
- Steelers play it safe in recent 2023 NFL mock draft
- Kenny Pickett gets his guy in latest Steelers mock draft with trades
- Steelers face potentially dark reality if Matt Canada doesn’t pan out
- Senior Bowl sleepers the Steelers must have on their radar
With the talent, this team has, though. Believing they’ll be able to keep Le’Veon Bell around next offseason, he might not need to win many games by himself. All he’ll really need to do is show up, not throw interceptions, and find one of the many star wide receivers in his arsenal.
Plus, with his athleticism and size, he’s the perfect replacement for Big Ben. As someone who loves to throw deep, and never lets a play die if doesn’t need to, the offense would be virtually unchanged when Kaepernick stepped into play.
So, maybe Kaepernick could pull one off with the Steelers. Heck, if people truly believe Josh Dobbs can in just his second year, the former 49er should definitely be able to. And not that Dobbs isn’t talented. When he gets his shot in Pittsburgh, he’ll be one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, but right now, he’s still under developed.
It comes down to how put together this team still is next season. Which, from the looks of it, they’re only going to be better in 2018, not worse. Which means it’s tough to put a second-year quarterback in when you can virtually get Colin Kaepernick for nothing this offseason.
He wouldn’t come in expecting to start, and if Roethlisberger went down at some point, no one would be upset if Dobbs got the job before Kaep did. All he brings is competition for Dobbs. If the Tennessee star isn’t ready when needed, give the spot to Kaepernick. If he is, let him compete and earn his starting job.
Next: 5 Steelers who should've made the HOF
It’s not a fan friendly choice, but Colin Kaepernick would make sense in Pittsburgh. Maybe not right now, but next season, they’ll be happy they took a shot on someone most people don’t want around.