After the announcement of Ben Roethlisberger’s season-ending elbow injury this week, the Steelers find themselves searching for a starting quarterback.
Since the end of the 2017 NFL season, every time a starting quarterback goes down around the league, the same name gets brought up as a potential savior to that team: Colin Kaepernick.
In his last full season in the NFL, 2017, Kaepernick managed to complete nearly 60 percent of his passes, good for over 2,200 yards and 16 touchdowns in just 11 starts. Kaepernick is a statistically proven quarterback in a free agent market with relatively nothing to offer. He also stands out among potential signees and serves as a topic for debate for NFL general managers.
Due to controversial issues off of and on the field, Kaepernick has remained in the free agent pool for the last two seasons. However, Kaepernick has reported that he has been working out daily and is eager for a comeback.
On the other hand, young Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph almost led Pittsburgh to a comeback win on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. A former third-round pick himself, Rudolph completed 12 of 19 passes for 112 yards, two touchdowns and just one interception. Rudolph confidently stated following the game that he would be ready to take over as the Steelers’ signal-caller should Roethlisberger require surgery.
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Although Rudolph played well in his first true NFL test, the situation behind him on the depth chart looms ominously. The Steelers traded their former third-string quarterback, Josh Dobbs, to the Jacksonville Jaguars just last week. Following that move, they signed rookie Devlin Hodges to the practice squad.
For a team already off to an 0-2 start, the loss of a six-time Pro-Bowler and two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback can be devastating. To add insult to injury, the Steelers also lost starting running backJames Conner in Sunday’s game.
While Rudolph proved himself capable of handling the pressure of an NFL game on Sunday, the Steelers would likely welcome the addition of an experienced arm as well; Some of the other names on the free-agent market include Brock Osweiler, Paxton Lynch, Brandon Weeden and Matt Cassel. However, week three is fast approaching and you can’t help but wonder if the Steelers will end up making a play for Kaepernick instead.
