Colin Kaepernick Is 'Still Ready,' And The Eagles Should Give Him A Call
PHILADELPHIA (CBS/AP) -- The Eagles are in need of a quarterback -- or two. Backup Nate Sudfeld went down with a broken wrist in Thursday's preseason opener.
Head coach Doug Pederson said Sudfeld will have surgery Friday. The good news is he'll be back at some point this season.
The bad news is the other QBs on the Eagles' roster -- journeyman Cody Kessler and fifth-round pick Clayton Thorson -- didn't inspire confidence that either of them could handle the backup role, especially on a team with oft-injured Carson Wentz at the helm.
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Pederson said the team won't bring in a quarterback just yet, but if Kessler and Thorson continue to play poorly, the Birds won't have a choice.
#Eagles coach Doug Pederson tells reporters that QB Nate Sudfeld suffered a broken left wrist and will have surgery on Friday. But they won't bring in a QB just yet. It's on Cody Kessler to back up.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 9, 2019
Which brings us to free agents, which -- as all backup quarterback talk does -- brings us to Colin Kaepernick.
Kaepernick says he's "still ready" to return to the NFL, even though he is set to enter his third season out of the league.
In a video posted Wednesday on social media, the 31-year-old Kaepernick is shown working out in a gym. He says in the video: "5 a.m. 5 days a week. For 3 years. Still Ready."
5am. 5 days a week. For 3 years. Still Ready. pic.twitter.com/AGczejA1rM
— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) August 7, 2019
Kaepernick, then with the San Francisco 49ers, helped start a wave of protests about social and racial injustice in 2016 by kneeling during the national anthem at games.
He's been not-so-quietly blackballed by the league since -- Nathan Peterman's continued NFL career is enough evidence of such.
Kaepernick, now 31, is ready to come back. What harm does a call and possibly a workout do for the Eagles?
If Kessler can't deliver, the Birds will almost certainly scour the trash heap of available backups.
Some available names to consider: Brock Osweiler, Josh McCown, Matt Cassel, Geno Smith, Josh Johnson or even ... Sam Bradford?
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Do any of those retreads appeal to you? Didn't think so.
Kaepernick was one of the most electrifying QBs in the league during his career, leading the 49ers to the Super Bowl in 2013. In 2016, his final year, he posted 16 touchdowns to four interceptions on an abysmal team. He also fumbled seven times.
He's been out of the league now for two full seasons. That's a long time.
But to not give Kaepernick a call just to see what he has left would be negligence, especially for a franchise as open-minded and socially conscious as the Eagles.
Nobody knows how Kaepernick will fare in today's NFL. But when comparing his potential and proven body of work with someone like Bradford, it's certainly worth a shot.
What's the harm in a phone call?
(©Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)