The idea of Colin Kaepernick making an NFL comeback keeps getting dragged back into the conversation, even when the football case for it looks thin. This time, the spark came from the New York Giants’ quarterback situation, with Jaxson Dart potentially out for the rest of the season and the team needing help behind center.
On Wednesday morning, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio pointed to an interview Giants head coach John Harbaugh gave earlier this month with Ian O’Connor of The Athletic. In that conversation, Harbaugh said he wanted to sign Kaepernick to the Baltimore Ravens in 2017, the season after Kaepernick’s national anthem protest put him at the center of league-wide attention.
“It would be different if John Harbaugh hadn’t recently spoken in such glowing terms about Kaepernick,” Florio said. “With not many viable options available in free agency - and with Harbaugh having considerable power in New York - let’s see if Harbaugh puts his recent words into current action.”
That was enough to set off a wave of pushback from NFL media on X, where the reaction was mostly disbelief.
“We’re still doing this, huh?” asked physical therapist and Fantasy Points injury analyst Jeff Mueller.
“Kaepernick turns 39 this season and hasn’t played in 10 years. What?” added Locked on Cowboys’ Marcus Mosher.
“He is 38 and hasnt played in 10 years. The NFL thought 4 years off for Philip Rivers was nuts,” chimed in Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post.
“Maybe after checking with Drew Brees,” joked fantasy football writer Ryan McDowell.
“I hope we do this bit forever,” added FantasyPros Mike Maher.
“Come on man…” said former NFL lineman and current SiriusXM analyst Geoff Schwartz.
Kaepernick, for his part, has continued to say he wants back in. Even during the promotional run for his memoir, “The Perilous Fight,” he made it clear he still sees himself as ready to play. But that doesn’t mean the path back is real.
Florio said as much later in the same post.
“The NFL has long since moved on from Kaepernick, freezing him out long enough to make it unrealistic that the now-38-year-old quarterback would have a plausible path to a roster, a practice squad, or even a tryout,” he writes.
The Giants’ quarterback room is shaky, and the search for help is understandable. But based on everything in play here, Colin Kaepernick doesn’t look like the answer.
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Giants Suddenly Have A QB Opening Worth Watching Closely
Jaxson Darts knee injury has changed the Giants quarterback picture quickly, and it has pushed the team into a familiar kind of midseason search. With Dart expected to miss an extended stretch and possibly the rest of the season, New York is looking at what it can reasonably do behind Jameis Winston, who is now the backup holding the job by default.
Joe Milton III has emerged as a name to watch because the Giants are considering moving the Dallas Cowboys practice squad quarterback onto the active roster. A 2024 draft pick with limited NFL experience, Milton drew attention with a strong preseason, and New Yorks next move could say plenty about how aggressively it wants to address a depth chart that suddenly looks thinner than it did a week ago. [Read more 🡒]
JJ McCarthy Just Got Pulled Into A Surprise Giants Scenario
Jaxson Darts knee injury has created a sudden bit of uncertainty for the Giants, and the timing could hardly be worse. What had been framed as a young quarterback situation now comes with the possibility that Darts recovery might stretch into season-ending surgery, forcing the organization to reassess what the depth chart should look like if the injury sidelines him for a long time.
Into that uncertainty has drifted Minnesota quarterback JJ McCarthy, whose name is now being tied to a possible Giants pursuit as a backup or even replacement option. There has been no public word from the Giants about any interest, and any move would hinge on how Dart heals and whether Minnesota would even be willing to talk, but the injury has at least opened the door to a scenario New York probably did not expect to face this soon. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Suddenly Have A QB Depth Problem Steelers Could Solve
Jaxson Darts knee injury has left the Giants in a difficult spot, and the uncertainty around his return this season only sharpens the concern. For a team trying to keep its quarterback room stable, losing a young passer at this point forces the front office to look at every possible backup plan, especially with the season still hanging in the balance.
Mason Rudolph is one name that naturally comes into the conversation because the Steelers are carrying four quarterbacks on their active roster and he has been viewed as a possible trade candidate. If Pittsburgh decides it can afford to move one, the Giants could be a logical fit as they look to add depth and avoid being caught thin at the most important position on the field. [Read more 🡒]