Philadelphia Eagles Rumors: Colin Kaepernick Could Take Over As Quarterback Next Season
The Philadelphia Eagles are rumored to be headed to a big change at quarterback, with the shake-up in San Francisco possibly paving way for Colin Kaepernick to steal the starting role from Sam Bradford.
The oft-injured quarterback is in the infirmary again, out with a concussion and separated shoulder. It has been a rough start to the Sam Bradford era for the Philadelphia Eagles. Though the team entered the season as a dark horse Super Bowl pick for many experts, the Eagles have stumbled to a 4-5 start.
Bradford himself has struggled, throwing 10 interceptions in nine games and sporting a quarterback rating of 86.2, which is 36th in the NFL.
JUST IN: @Eagles QB Sam Bradford ruled out for Week 11 vs. @TBBuccaneers. pic.twitter.com/j6hT5ICmqB
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) November 20, 2015
The outlook for Bradford’s future in Philadelphia doesn’t look good, noted NJ.com writer Eliot Shorr-Parks.
“Combine his poor play with his most recent injury, suffered last week in a loss to the Miami Dolphins, and the chances of Bradford — already with a reputation of being injury-prone — returning next season appear to be dwindling.”
Shorr-Parks predicted that the Philadelphia Eagles would make a play for Colin Kaepernick, who is more than likely to hit the open market this off-season.
Kaepernick’s gradual fall from grace with the San Francisco 49ers appeared to reach its low point on Friday, when the quarterback opted for surgery that would place him on injured reserve. Kaepernick had already been benched in favor of Blaine Gabbert, who will now be backed up by Dylan Thompson from the team’s practice squad, Pro Football Talk reported.
It was a stunning turn of events for Kaepernick, who once looked to be the 49ers’ quarterback of the future. He took Alex Smith’s spot in 2012, leading the team to dump Smith and keep Kaepernick full time, embracing his strong arm and ability to run the option.
Colin Kaepernick benching completes 49ers’ painful fall from grace (by @ChrisBurke_SI) https://t.co/E0gk8Nf3Ln pic.twitter.com/ltSz8qZVXR — Sports Illustrated (@SInow) November 4, 2015
The Philadelphia Eagles rumors likely won’t be affected by Colin Kaepernick’s surgery. The procedure is on his non-throwing shoulder, and it’s believed that the quarterback will be fully recovered by next year. That’s important for the San Francisco 49ers as well, who will need to cut Kaepernick in order to keep from having to pay the more than $100 million left on his schedule. Kaepernick needs to pass a physical for the team to be off the hook, and it’s likely that he will.
The rumors would seem to make sense for the Philadelphia Eagles, as Colin Kaepernick could fit well in coach Chip Kelly’s system. He already has some backing in the city, as well. Former Philadelphia mayor and Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell said last month that he thinks the team should move beyond Sam Bradford and trade for Kaepernick.
“One thing is clear, Sam Bradford is not, in my judgement, the quarterback of the future for the Eagles,” he told CBS Philadelphia. “What I would like to see us get at the end of the year, I’m told that San Francisco is going to be looking to trade [quarterback Colin] Kaepernick and I think in Chip Kelly’s system, Kaepernick could be the perfect quarterback because he can run.”
There is still a lot that could affect the Philadelphia Eagles rumors surrounding Colin Kaepernick. If Sam Bradford were to somehow return from injury and lead the team to a title in a still very winnable NFC East, it could cement his place on the team at least for the near future. And if the team does opt to go in a different direction, there would be some other options including another reform project in Robert Griffin III.
[Picture by Christian Petersen/Getty Images]
