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NFL Rumors: Colin Kaepernick Could Have Chance With Denver Broncos After Paxton Lynch Injury

By Nathan Francis
Published on: 09:07 PST, Aug 28, 2017

The NFL rumors are once again focusing on Colin Kaepernick, with a new report that the erstwhile Super Bowl starter could have a new chance with the Denver Broncos.

The Broncos are in a bit of a quarterback quandary after former first-round pick Paxton Lynch injured his throwing shoulder, meaning he will likely miss at least the first preseason game. While Trevor Siemian has already been named the starter, the team may need help with only unproven rookie Kyle Sloter left to serve as a backup.

As CBS Sports reported, that could leave an opening for Colin Kaepernick. The report noted that Broncos coach Vance Joseph hasn’t ruled out signing Kaepernick, who would be an immediate upgrade over Sloter and could allow the Broncos to stash their rookie on the practice squad.

The NFL rumors might seem a bit familiar to anyone following the Denver Broncos closely. The team showed interest at Kaepernick last season, and CBS Sports noted that he “might even be better than Siemian,” though signing him would take away from the development of two young quarterbacks. Kaepernick likely wouldn’t be a long-term option for the team, the report added.

The rumors are the latest in the saga over when — and if — Kaepernick will return to the league. He has been a flashpoint for controversy since his decision last season to take a knee during the national anthem in protest of police brutality against minorities. Although Kaepernick’s protest has now expanded to dozens of other players, his actions remain controversial.

Critics say that Colin Kaepernick is essentially being blackballed for his protest, and the numbers appear to give some credence to this theory. Kaepernick had the best stats of all available free agent quarterbacks, including a 90.7 quarterback rating and a 16-to-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio. This ability to take care of the ball combined with Kaepernick’s experience — having taken his team to the NFC title game and the Super Bowl in consecutive seasons — are normally qualities coveted by teams in need of a quarterback, but he hasn’t been called on even to compete for a backup spot.

Many believed that Colin Kaepernick could be a good fit in Jacksonville, where the Jaguars are dealing with a struggling Blake Bortles and a backup in Chad Henne who still isn’t good enough to steal the starting job away from him. As Pete Prisco of CBS Sports noted, it comes as a surprise to many that the Jaguars didn’t explore Kaepernick.

“I am still shocked the Jaguars didn’t call Colin Kaepernick and offer him a two-year deal when this thing looked like it was coming unglued. That’s something I would have done, and owner Shad Khan said last week he would be OK with it if the football people pushed for that.”

If the NFL rumors about Colin Kaepernick’s potential return come true, it will likely happen very soon. The Denver Broncos will play their final preseason game on Thursday and likely want any new quarterback to have as much time as possible to get acclimated to the system in preparation for the first game.

[Featured Image by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images]

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