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Without Romo, Broncos won’t turn to Kaepernick

Colin Kaepernick is a young athletic quarterback with a trip to the Super Bowl under his belt. While Broncos Country fixated on Tony Romo, why wasn’t Kaepernick a viable option?

By Adam Malnati

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San Francisco 49ers v Los Angeles Rams Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

Let’s start by making it clear, John Elway is not making a move for Colin Kaepernick. As Ian St. Clair and I discussed on the Mile High Report Radio podcast, the Broncos don’t see Kaepernick as a potential veteran presence in the locker room. Now that Romo is retiring, most Bronco fans are happy to roll with either Trevor Siemian or Paxton Lynch.

But it wasn’t that long ago that John Elway and the Broncos were making a big push to trade for the same player that has been summarily dismissed by so many in the NFL. A basic argument made by many is that his talent and ability don’t outweigh the distraction he creates. Call it the Tebow effect.

However, looking at the scenario from a strictly football sense, why not Kaepernick? At 29 he is in his prime. He has a similar skill set to Paxton Lynch, and he would be a cheap veteran option. The argument that he is garbage doesn’t really hold water. His TD:INT ration was 4:1 in 12 games in 2016. The 49ers were atrocious in 2016, but was that on Kaepernick? Probably less than most will admit.

The NFL has become a passing league, but mobile quarterbacks that extend plays are always in demand. Paxton Lynch looks like he fits a particular mold - he looks a lot like Kaepernick. So, why not bring in a player that Lynch can watch on film and learn from? Kaepernick could be a problem in the locker room, but 2016 may have been a humbling experience.

After sitting down with John Elway before the start of last season, Kaepernick made a financial decision about his career. Choosing to walk away from $12 million guaranteed would have been difficult. The Broncos moved on, and the 49ers did everything they could to get rid of their QB. Maybe that is exactly what Kaep needed to wake him up to how fragile an NFL career can be.

All that being said, the Broncos have their QB of the future. Paxton Lynch will be the guy sooner or later, and Kaepernick does not fit into that time table. But if Elway was willing to hand the team to Romo before he retired, why not consider Kaepernick?

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