Colin Kaepernick can't find a job in the NFL. He's a dynamic quarterback who led a team to the brink of a Super Bowl win, so it seems pretty obvious his employment problems have little to do with his skills and everything to do with his decision to kneel during the National Anthem last season to raise awareness for the Black Lives Matter movement. Kaepernick knew his pregame actions and locker-room outspokenness would rub some potential employers the wrong way, but it's difficult to imagine he ever thought he would see guys like Josh McCown get $6 million from the New York Jets before he got a phone call.
The Miami Dolphins should be the team that finally makes that call to Kaepernick. They should sign him and make him their backup quarterback. Really, that decision really shouldn't even be all that difficult. The move makes perfect football sense, which is sort of the point, right?
Ryan Tannehill is coming off a near-devastating knee injury that cost him a chance to participate in the playoffs last season. The Dolphins expect him to make a full recovery and start the season good as new, but what if he has a setback or reinjures his knee? The Dolphins found out this past season, once again, exactly who current backup Matt Moore is: a guy who is good but nowhere near good enough. In the end, if you're playing Moore, he will be the reason your team's ceiling ends at "good job, good effort."
Adam Gase took Tim Tebow to the playoffs and won a game with what amounted to a college-style, run-first option offense. What do you think he could do with Kaepernick's skills? Kaepernick is still a talented player, and under
Kaepernick, unlike fellow free agent Jay Cutler, has shown he's willing to be a backup quarterback. Last season, Kaepernick didn't cause a fuss when Blaine Gabbert started a handful of games over him. And that was Blaine Gabbert! Chances are Kaepernick would be just fine signing a one-year deal to learn under Gase, reestablish himself in the NFL, and go back on the open market next summer.
Stephen Ross could make a nice statement by not only backing the signing of Kaepernick but also encouraging it. Miami, after all, is a city that's embraced athletes who take a stand on something they believe in. Yes, Kaepernick would have some heavy lifting to do in Miami for more than just his Black Lives Matter stance; he was raked over the coals by some in South Florida for wearing a Malcom X shirt that also included a photo of Fidel Castro.
But remember when LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and the entire Heat roster wore hoodies in support of Trayvon Martin? Or when Udonis Haslem slammed Donald Trump for claiming his "grab 'em by the pussy" comment was just "locker-room talk"? Miami fans can separate an athlete from their political stances — especially an athlete who can help their team win.
For all of those reasons, the Dolphins should sign Colin Kaepernick now — not least because he will make their football team that much better.
