1. Colin Kaepernick
Despite being more skilled than pretty much every quarterback that’s been signed this offseason, Kaepernick remains jobless.
While many people disagree about the reasons for this, it cannot be argued that, at least in part, he’s without work because of his public stance against the national anthem in 2016. If you believe some of the reports coming out, NFL executives either cannot stand Kaepernick or are scared of hiring him because of the backlash they’ll face.
Baggage aside, Kaepernick should have a job. He’s not one of the best 12 quarterbacks in the NFL as Richard Sherman has suggested, but he’s certainly better than some of the starters right now — a topic we explored in detail here.
Facts are facts. Last year, despite playing on one of the NFL’s worst teams featuring the least amount of talent on the offensive side of the ball, Kaepernick threw 16 touchdowns and just four interceptions while playing in 11 games. Over the course of his career, he’s completed just below 60 percent of his passes while tossing 72 touchdowns and just 30 interceptions while earning a record of 28-30 (that counts his 1-10 record in 2016).
Then there’s the dual-threat aspect of Kaepernick’s game that has always made him one of the league’s most dangerous playmakers. He’s rushed for 2,300 yards and 13 touchdowns in his career, averaging 6.1 yards per carry.
There are teams that could do a lot worse than Kaepernick, and they actually have. He’d be a better option for the New York Jets than Josh McCown. He’s a better option for the Houston Texans than Tom Savage. He’s better than Cody Kessler in Cleveland. Heck, in a backup role he’d be a perfect fit for the Seattle Seahawks.
Simply put, Kaepernick is the best quarterback still out there.