Kansas City Chiefs

Could Colin Kaepernick Help the Chiefs?

LadnerMorse October 20, 2019 No Comments Gallery

Could Colin Kaepernick Help the Chiefs? – it would be a strange twist of fate if the Kansas City Chiefs were to sign QB Colin Kaepernick to replace Patrick Mahomes for the next month or so. Strange, not because Kap remains a polarizing character in American culture, but strange because he is the one who bumped Alex Smith from the 49ers lineup and stole Smith’s chance to win the Super Bowl he’d worked years to win… only to have his team lose in the Lombardi classic due to poor QB play. Of course, the real reason for such “strangeness” is that this series of events in San Francisco led to Smith being traded to K.C. in the spring of 2013 and a five year ensuing upswing in Chiefs organization, much of which can be attributed to Alex Smith.

Now, is quite a different story. Enter Patrick Mahomes, the 2018 NFL MVP, and the 2019 Chiefs are on the verge of pushing for a Super Bowl berth, or at least an AFC Conference title game berth. So, when Patrick Mahomes went down with a dislocated patella (knee cap) it leaves the team with the dilemma: do you go with the man you signed (Matt Moore) to replace your replacement (Chad Henne)… or do you sign a QB who can actually win games on his own and lead the team while Mahomes heals?

Mahomes is likely to be out past the Bye Week (which is the last week of November), and December 1st is thought to be PMII’s first game back vs the Raiders at Arrowhead.

The Michael Vick Comparison

When Andy Reid chose to bring Michael Vick back to the league by signing him in 2009, it was shocking to many because of his conviction for dog fighting and having served time for it. Vick only appeared in one game in 2009 and it wasn’t until 2010 when he took over QB duties on a regular basis. He was 30 years old at that time.

Colin Kaepernick is currently 31 years old and about to be 32 (in two weeks). While some will question his “football shape” because he’s been out of the game for the past two seasons, then you must also question the shape of Matt Moore who didn’t play at all in 2018. However, it looks like Kap has worked out and stayed in shape:

A critical question I have about a comparison to Michael Vick is: would you rather have a convicted felon on your team… or a protester? Many may answer, “Neither” but, since we already know Reid could bring back Vick, then is Kap so out of the question?

 

Vick had two very good years after he came back. In 2010 he passed for 3,018 yards with 21 TDs and 6 INTs. In 2011, he threw for 3,303 with 18 TDs and 14 INTs. Perhaps the QB we should be comparing Kap to is, Matt Moore.

 

In 2011, Matt Moore threw for a single season career high of 2,497 yards with 16 TDs and 9 INTs but never threw for close to half those totals in any of his other seasons in the NFL. Aside from 2011 when Moore started 12 games, he never started more than 5 games and there was a 4 year stretch where he never started a game at all.

Strong Feelings

Chiefs fans, and NFL fans at large, have strong feelings, one way or the other, concerning Colin Kaepernick. Without getting into a debate about Kap and what he has done, or what his actions mean, I’d like to stick to the idea of: can he help the Chiefs over the next month (to five weeks) or not?

We’ve entered an era of getting beyond “what is the politically correct” thing to do or say, whether we like it or not. I’m old school and would like to see us return to politeness, and civility. However, I don’t think that has anything to do with the case of being for or against Colin Kaepernick. Not anymore.

Is/Was Colin Kaepernick a Good QB?

To answer the question of whether or not Colin Kaepernick is or was a good quarterback, is left to personal opinion. I have not been a fan of his (on the football field) since he ousted Alex Smith from his starting role in San Fran. Smith is a So. Cal. guy and so am I, plus he once signed a Chiefs cap for me, so I’m remain an Alex Smith fan. However, before coming to any conclusions, let’s take a look at Kap’s stats:

The first thing that jumps out at me is, Kap has only had 5 years as a starter in the NFL. In fact, his 58 games as a starter, doesn’t even total the 64 it takes to be considered a four year starter (even if you take one game off each year). The other stats that pops off the screen is his 2,300 rushing yards. Four years with over 400 yards rushing means he’s probably been more of a QB who likes to run instead of pass. Except, in his only two seasons when he started 16 games, he averaged over 3,250 passing yards.

Kaepernick and Coaching

Jim Harbaugh was the HC for the 49ers and in his rookie year as the man in charge, he selected Colin Kaepernick in the second round, the 36th pick overall. Kap was the first college QB to ever throw for over 10,000 yards while rushing for over 4,000 yards. He played his college ball at Nevada where his Head Coach was Chris Ault. In 2011, his senior season, Kaepernick had 3,022 passing yards, 21 passing TDs, 8 INTs and 1,206 rushing yards including 21 rushing TDs.

Sidenotes: although I was pushing for the Chiefs to take WR Jonathan Baldwin with their first pick in 2011, which they did, regrettably, Kaepernick was taken about ten picks later. Andy Reid was not yet the HC of the Kansas City Chiefs for the 2012 NFL draft, but he selected Guard Danny Watkins out of Baylor for Philly, who turned out to be quite a flop.

I’ve often wondered what an offensive mind like Andy Reid could do with a gifted athlete like Colin Kaepernick. While a big question I had about Patrick Mahomes coming out of college was: can he resist this urge to run nad remain in the pocket long enough to become a pass-first QB in the NFL… I have those same questions still about Kaepernick, although he’s been in the league for 6 years.

The kind of coaching advantages that Andy Reid can provide a talented athlete like Kaepernick are clear. However, Reid had two offseasons and a whole year with Mahomes learning behind Alex Smith, before he blossomed into the type of star player he is now. While I think Colin Kaepernick could become an outstanding performer with Reid guiding the way, I wonder how long it might take for Kap to mature in his system?

With those doubts aside, it’s perfectly evident that Colin Kaepernick is head and shoulders above the player that the 35 year old Matt Moore is right now.

Clark’s Hunt for Red October

With October and November looming on Kansas City’s schedule, there is the obstacle of Clark Hunt’s approval to get Kaepernick into Chiefs Red and Gold. The NFL appears to have blackballed Colin Kaepernick and I doubt Clark Hunt wants to be the one owner who makes a statement by bringing Kap back into the league. On the other hand, I have been somewhat surprised to learn that Hunt was as gracious as he has been in the case of Tyreek Hill this past offseason. Perhaps you can’t compare one situation to another but… it’s clear the league has taken a new path in regard to dealing with domestic offenders this past year. So, perhaps the league is ready to move on in regard to the Kap situation as well.

When Googling Colin Kaepernick I was surprised to find a number of articles already out there linking Kap to the Chiefs:

From USAToday – Colin Kaepernick is the Perfect Replacement for Patrick Mahomes

From Mercury News – Colin Kaepernick Could Interest Andy Redi, Analyst Says

From The Spun – Numerous NFL Analysts Suggest Colin Kaepernick to the Chiefs Could Make Sense

From NJ.com – Four Reasons Colin Kaepernick Can Save Andy Reid’s Chiefs After Patrick Mahomes Injury

From Heavy.com – Kaepernick, Mariota Among the Chiefs Top 5 Free Agent/Trade OPtions at QB

From Fansided – Patrick Mahomes Injury – 5 Potential Replacements For Chiefs

The Fansided piece suggests:

    • 5. Colin Kaepernick
    • 4. Marcus Mariota
    • 3. Ryan Fitzpatrick
    • 2. Josh Rosen
    • 1. Eli Manning

I’m not a fan of trading any assets at all for a QB who will play for essentially one month, five weeks at the most. That knocks out anyone who already has a job in the NFL and leaves Kap. Although, that’s not the reason to sign him.

The Distraction

While many may worry about any kind of distraction that Colin Kaepernick may introduce along with his mere presence, I doubt that Andy Reid would allow such. The only distraction that could be a problem would be among the players themselves. However, with what we’ve heard from guys like LeSean McCoy, who came to the team late in the process, this team is as strong as can be and a close knit group.

Timing… If… The Chiefs Sign Kaepernick

If the Kansas City Chiefs are going to sign Colin Kaepernick, it would likely have to happen in the next 48 hours. I doubt the team wants to bring in a newly signed QB after they begin to practice on Monday or Tuesday in preparation for the Green Bay Packers next weekend. It’s possible but not likely.

 

Bottom Line

Could Colin Kaepernick help the Chiefs? While I’d say yes, more than Matt Moore or any other QB who is available could… it doesn’t seem likely.

Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne

 

 

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