Getty Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels.
The Las Vegas Raiders turned a lot of heads when they decided to bring in Colin Kaepernick for a workout. It was a bold move considering the quarterback hasn’t even met with a team since 2017. It seemed like there was a strong chance that the team was going to sign him but over a week has passed and there haven’t been any developments.
Kaepernick has remained silent on the topic and no members of the Raiders organization are saying much. The longer he is removed from the workout, the less likely it is that he’ll get signed by the team. However, one former NFL executive thinks that’s a mistake. Former New York Jets general manager came out and said that he would’ve already signed Kaepernick if he were the Raiders.
“I would’ve signed him, not just worked him out, I would’ve signed him,” Tannenbaum said on ESPN’s “Get Up.” “It tells me that they have concerns about Nick Mullens and Jarrett Stidham as a backup and, by signing him now, it gives them about six weeks to get to know the playbook, get back into the NFL routine so when they hit training camp, he’s ready to go.”
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Should Raiders Sign Kaepernick?
It’s easy to suggest the Raiders sign Kaepernick for a person in Tannenbaum’s current situation. However, it’s a nuanced issue. Owner Mark Davis has made it clear that he supports Kaepernick and his previous comments about police brutality but signing the quarterback would set off a certain portion of the fan base. There will also be a lot more media coverage for the team if they sign him.
Those are factors the Raiders need to consider before signing a backup quarterback. That said, Jarrett Stidham and Nick Mullens aren’t the most exciting backup quarterbacks in the NFL. If Kaepernick can return to form after five seasons away, he’d be an upgrade. Having a good backup quarterback is very important even when you have a durable starter like Derek Carr. If the Raiders feel like Kaepernick is truly an upgrade over Mullens and Stidham, they should sign him regardless of the noise it would create off the field.
Why Haven’t the Raiders Signed Kaepernick Yet?
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer has reported that Kaepernick impressed the Raiders with his arm strength and conditioning but didn’t light the field on fire. The team doesn’t need him to be Patrick Mahomes to be a capable backup. If the Raiders liked what they saw from him and have the support of Davis, why haven’t they cut a deal?
It’s unclear why they haven’t made a move yet but it could simply be that his workout wasn’t impressive enough to warrant the media attention he’d bring. Head coach Josh McDaniels comes from the New England Patriots, which isn’t exactly the kindest team to the media. He may want to avoid the media firestorm signing the quarterback would create. However, that won’t stop him if he thinks signing Kaepernick makes the Raiders better.
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