Getty Colin Kaepernick at the Sports Illustrated award show.
The Baltimore Ravens have one of the strongest quarterback rooms in the NFL, but if the opportunity presents itself, could Colin Kaepernick end up on their roster?
According to a national analyst, that’s more than a possibility. Recently, NFL.com writer Jeffri Chadiha ranked teams that could make sense for a Kaepernick signing. Baltimore checked in at No. 1 on the list.
As Chadiha said, Kaepernick fits the Ravens’ offense like a glove, even if there were circumstances which already presented him from landing with the team a few years back.
“Yes, the Ravens have the reigning league MVP in quarterback Lamar Jackson. They also have Greg Roman, the offensive coordinator whose system vaulted Kaepernick to stardom in San Francisco. They have John Harbaugh, the older brother of Jim, the current Michigan head coach who was leading the 49ers when Kaepernick was playing the best football of his professional career. Most importantly, the Ravens have an exceptional roster that makes Baltimore one of the favorites to win the coming season’s Super Bowl. That means the story of Kaepernick returning to the league wouldn’t dominate the media spotlight, or turn into a distraction, in the same way it would in some other markets.
Of course, there is a checkered history here, as well. The Ravens were the most open team in the league when it came to discussing their interest in Kaepernick prior to the 2017 season. This was back when Joe Flacco was still their undisputed starter and they had no idea they’d be completely overhauling their offensive approach for a talent like Jackson, the team’s second first-round pick in 2018. There have been several published reports about why Baltimore never signed Kaepernick — most notably that numerous fans negatively reacted to the possibility and that a tweet by Kaepernick’s girlfriend, one comparing an embrace between legendary Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and team owner Steve Bisciotti to a hug between a slave and slave owner in the movie Django Unchained, ticked off Bisciotti — but there was real interest back then.
The Ravens are now so all-in on the read-option system that Jackson used to terrorize opponents that their backups are both athletic quarterbacks cut from the same mold as Kaepernick: Robert Griffin III and Trace McSorley. If any of those quarterbacks were to go down with an injury, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Baltimore reach out to the exiled star.”
There is little doubt that Kaepernick is an organizational fit, and it’s possible many tunes have changed within the organization since 2017 which could lead to an eventual signing if need be. The one problem? Baltimore is loaded at Kaepernick’s position, so it would probably take an injury to get him into the mix in 2020.
That doesn’t change the fact he should be high on the team’s list according to the analyst.
Colin Kaepernick’s Fit With Ravens
There is little doubt that as a team who uses a running quarterback, Kaepernick would fit the Ravens well. His playmaking and style is a lot like that of Lamar Jackson, who also used creativity inside and outside the pocket to make plays and embarrass defenders. In his career, Kaepernick put up 72 touchdowns, 12,271 passing yards and 2,300 rushing yards.
Arguably, Kaepernick’s style might fit the Ravens better than any other team in the league providing they needed him.
Colin Cowherd: Lamar Jackson Could Win Back to Back NFL MVP’s
Why could Jackson go back to back? For some, it’s as simple as the players around him in addition to the talents of the quarterback himself. Fox Sports analyst Colin Cowherd thinks that Jackson is winning the award again in 2020, and the reason has everything to do with the surge the quarterback has recently made in his career.
In a segment of The Herd where he was picking superlatives for NFL players, Cowherd named Jackson “most likely to win the MVP award” and explained that he thinks things are going to get even better for Jackson this coming season in Baltimore.
Most likely to break up?
Best dancer?
Teacher’s pet?
@ColinCowherd hands out his NFL superlatives with @JoyTaylorTalks:
Cowherd explains:
“His growth from year 1 to 2 was phenomenal. He seems to be uniquely focused and let’s be honest, they are completely stacked in Baltimore,” Cowherd said. “They’re not paying Lamar Jackson anything. That’s the advantage to dropping in the first round as a quarterback. You don’t make as much money, but you get way better teammates. I have the Ravens winning the Super Bowl. Lamar Jackson’s going to be the MVP as his trajectory goes up.”
After a season in 2019 where Jackson did everything, having him pegged as the MVP for this coming season seems like a wise bet. After all, the only thing he hasn’t proven he can do is win in the playoffs. If Jackson is able to do that, his star will be strong for a while.
Things like this might prevent the team from signing a talented quarterback like Kaepernick in the end, given how good Jackson has been and figures to be in the future.
Even so, many think the team would consider him in the event Jackson got dinged up or the team needed some help.
READ NEXT: John Harbaugh Reveals Telling Comment on Ravens Playoff Loss