Getty Colin Kaepernick during the Michigan 2022 spring game on April 2, 2022.
Jimmy Garoppolo isn’t the only name linked to the now quarterback needy Dallas Cowboys.
While Garoppolo is the current San Francisco 49ers representative attached as a possibility to provide depth in the wake of Dak Prescott enduring a right thumb injury, another signal-caller with 49er ties has had his name brought up by two Hall of Famers from the Cowboys: Colin Kaepernick.
And two men who made the No. 88 revered for the franchise offered differing takes on Kaepernick heading to Dallas: Drew Pearson and Michael Irvin.
‘Call Kaepernick’
Pearson, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021, believes his former team should be working the phones to assist Cooper Rush and Will Grier — the remaining healthy quarterbacks on the Cowboys roster as Prescott deals with his injured thumb.
Pearson’s suggestions are two men who once played in a 2014 NFC playoff game on the same field: Cam Newton and Kaepernick.
“Call Cam. Call Kaepernick. Call anybody out there,” Pearsons said according to TMZ. “We got to have somebody there with some experience, some game experience. I’m not talking about coming in and mopping up for somebody after the game’s already won or already lost. I’m talking about somebody that’s been there, been in the big time, knows how to be a starting quarterback in the National Football League.”
One or the other would certainly provide buzz worthy takes in Dallas and across the NFL landscape. Newton, the 2015 season league Most Valuable Player, remains an unsigned free agent after his second stint with the Carolina Panthers. Kaepernick, however, has been searching for another NFL opportunity for six seasons following his protests during the National Anthem, which eventually led to the league settling a $10 million grievance with Kaepernick in 2019. The last NFL pass he threw was at the 5:42 mark of the fourth quarter against the Seattle Seahawks on New Year’s Day 2017 — which was a 9-yard connection to Garrett Celek for the touchdown.
Kaepernick was last seen trying out for the Las Vegas Raiders. Reviews of his workout were mixed — with the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport saying that “he impressed” while former Raider and NFL Hall of Famer with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Warren Sapp claimed he heard “it was a disaster.”
While Pearson mentioned Kaepernick as an option, Irvin chimed in with his criticism of the idea of luring in the now 34-year-old.
‘Let’s Just Stop’
The Hall of Famer Irvin shot down Stephen A. Smith’s suggestion to Dallas in giving the former 49ers quarterback a try during ESPN’s First Take on Monday, September 12.
“Let’s stop with this Colin Kaepernick stuff. Let’s just stop. Colin Kaepernick’s been out of football for what five years now,” Irvin said to Smith. “Come on, man. Let’s stop all of a sudden thinking we can go resurrect Colin Kaepernick, and he’s going to come and resurrect a football team.”
Irvin is all in on the Cowboys riding with the 28-year-old from Central Michigan University.
“I’ll take my chances with Cooper Rush,’’ Irvin said. “I saw Cooper Rush win a football game last year. That’s all I’m saying.”