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5 reasons why Colin Kaepernick is bad for the Broncos

By Ian O'Brien

Nov 1, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) watches play on the sidelines during the second half against the St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome. The Rams won 27-6. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 1, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) watches play on the sidelines during the second half against the St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome. The Rams won 27-6. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 26, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) during warmups before game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 26, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) during warmups before game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Read option has gone extinct

The regression of Colin Kaepernick and Robert Griffin III after the 2012 season proves how rapidly the read option has disappeared as a reliable offensive scheme in the NFL. Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has been able to excel as a runner. However, he dramatically elevated his passing game during the 2015 season, proving that the read option is a dying breed.

Kaepernick took the league by storm after taking over for an injured Alex Smith, and he exploded in the playoffs with a 181-yard rushing game before guiding the 49ers to the Super Bowl. However, his production began to decline in his first full season as a starter. The dual-threat quarterback’s steady regression continued throughout the remainder of his 49ers career, and his flaws became even more clear following the departure of Jim Harbaugh.

After the 49ers rapidly became a losing team, Kaepernick took a lot of heat for his underwhelming performance and was eventually benched for Blaine Gabbert. The Broncos also had a quarterback of their own who thrived in a read-option scheme, as he helped the Broncos lead the NFL in rushing offense in 2011. However, Tebow has quickly been pushed out of the NFL.

Unless Kaepernick can break the trend of quarterbacks like Tebow, Griffin and himself being figured out, the Broncos will not be able to count on winning another Super Bowl even with an elite defense. They will be just a playoff team instead of a Super Bowl team as they were before the arrival of Manning.

Next: 1. He was benched for Blaine Gabbert

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