Colin Kaepernick. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
What if Colin Kaepernick backed up Ryan Tannehill on the Tennessee Titans?
Colin Kaepernick to the Tennessee Titans would certainly make some noise in the Music City.
It has been three years since the former starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers have played in the NFL. His kneeling during the playing of the national anthem got in the way of his message when he was last with the 49ers in 2016. But with the political climate changing in the midst of the Black Lives Matter movement, could we see Kaepernick back in the NFL in 2020?
It’s not going to be anywhere near as taboo as it would have been even a year ago. Depending on the right schematic fit and situation, Kaepernick could find himself back in the league at some point in the not-so-distant future. ESPN football analyst Mina Kimes thinks the Titans have to be one of the better landing spots for the former San Francisco signal-caller.
Kimes argues that Kaepernick would need to go to a situation where there is a starting quarterback firmly entrenched, as well as to a winning organization that can handle the uptick in media coverage. Tennessee just paid Ryan Tannehill a ton of money this offseason and the Titans were one game away from reaching the Super Bowl in franchise history. Can it work in Nashville?
Colin Kaepernick to the Tennessee Titans is a fit we’re not thinking about.
To say Tannehill is firmly entrenched is a bit of a stretch. Yes, he’s been a starting quarterback in this league for going on a decade. However, he’s coming off a career year in which he started the campaign as Marcus Mariota’s backup. Tannehill’s former employer in the Miami Dolphins punted on him after seven up-and-down seasons in South Florida.
When people think of high-end functioning NFL organizations, the Titans aren’t won of the first dozen that would come to mind. That’s not to say that they aren’t trending in the right direction under the leadership of owner Amy Adams Strunk, general manager Jon Robinson and head coach Mike Vrabel, but this franchise had been irrelevant for a long time for a reason.
Tennessee has not win the AFC South since Jeff Fisher was the coach and Kerry Collins was his quarterback back in 2008. That was Collins’ second Pro Bowl season, but it was alarming how quickly Fisher moved off No. 3 overall pick Vince Young. Tennessee has started a lot of quarterbacks since the last time the Titans one the division.
But what helps Kimes’ case more than anything is the Titan’s lackluster backup situation. If Tannehill were to go down, which could happen given the way he plays the position as a mobile dual-threat quarterback, it would be The Logan Woodside Show in Nashville. Unless you grew up with Toledo Rockets season tickets, who’s going to play to see that for extended stretches?
Overall, Tennessee should be one of the top-eight teams in the AFC this year. Along with the Indianapolis Colts, they are in contention to win the divisional crown, with the Houston Texans chomping at their heels. If Tennessee is pushing for a playoff spot, but Tannehill succumbs to injury, perhaps Kaepernick could be called upon to save the Titans’ season?
Though there are other teams out there, Kaepernick to the Titans makes more sense than most.