One of the last remaining fits for Colin Kaepernick has moved on, and his NFL future looks even more in doubt
According to reports, the Seattle Seahawks signed backup quarterback Austin Davis to a contract on Monday.
The signing is notable, as last week, Kaepernick had his first, and to date, only free-agency meeting with the Seahawks. He's received virtually no interest from other teams in the league.
The Seahawks were seen as perhaps the best remaining fit for Kaepernick in the NFL. Though they have a clear-cut starter in Russell Wilson, Kaepernick could play as a backup, learning under Wilson, on a team that embraces individuality.
However, head coach Pete Caroll also admitted the team didn't have immediate intentions of signing Kaepernick, saying Kaepernick is a starter in the NFL. While some wondered if that meant Kaepernick's salary demands are too high, Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio noted that if the Seahawks truly believe Kaepernick is a starting-caliber quarterback, he may be a bad fit for them.
"Instead, the Seahawks have made the strategic decision not to add a player they regard as starting-caliber because they have a starter. While that could change if their starter suffers a serious injury, the reluctance of a team driven by competition to embrace a competitive option seems odd - unless the Seahawks don't want to have an in-house option to which the Russell Wilson Resenters can point if/when he struggles during the regular season."
Florio references the bombshell report from ESPN's Seth Wickersham that highlighted Wilson's divisiveness within the Seahawks. Many players reportedly don't think Wilson is held accountable by the coaching staff, and it has bred resentment within the team. According to Florio, to sign Kaepernick as a backup could only cause further unrest if Wilson performs poorly or other teammates supporting Kaepernick as a starter.
With three months to go until the NFL season, it's worth wondering if any team will give Kaepernick a shot. Kaepernick has lingered on the free agent market for months now, and few teams have seemingly shown interest. What could change over the coming months, as teams increasingly secure depth at the position?
While teams have reportedly been souring on Kaepernick for years, perhaps Giants owner John Mara have the most telling quote on Kaepernick to the MMQB.
"All my years being in the league, I never received more emotional mail from people than I did about that issue," Mara said of Kaepernick's national anthem protest.
"If any of your players ever do that, we are never coming to another Giants game. It wasn't one or two letters. It was a lot. It's an emotional, emotional issue for a lot of people, more so than any other issue I've run into."