Fansided

5 NFL teams that could revitalize Colin Kaepernick’s career

By John Buhler

August 26, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) passes the football against the Green Bay Packers during the second quarter at Levi
August 26, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) passes the football against the Green Bay Packers during the second quarter at Levi /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 6
Next
Aug 12, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians against the Oakland Raiders during a preseason game at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 12, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians against the Oakland Raiders during a preseason game at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

NFC. West. Arizona Cardinals. 4. player. 32.

If there is any organization in the NFL today that can handle a distracting player in its locker room, it has to be Bruce Arians’ Arizona Cardinals. Under Arians, the Cardinals have been one of the best teams in football.

They’ve gotten a huge boost from a player with a checkered past in defensive back Tyrann Mathieu. Arizona drafted troubled Ole Miss standout defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft.

Kaepernick wouldn’t start for the Cardinals, but would be the best No. 2 quarterback the team could have behind Pro Bowler Carson Palmer. Palmer is a top 10 quarterback in the NFL when healthy, but has had an injury-riddled NFL career. Losing him for any stretch ruins the Cardinals’ chances at playing for a Super Bowl.

With Arians being one of the best quarterbacks coaches in football, he’d wisely design an offensive that would suit Kaepernick’s physical skill set, but minimize its pre-snap complexities. If Arizona needed Kaepernick to win games should Palmer go down, he’s more than capable of doing that.

While Arizona isn’t afraid to bring in players with questionable backgrounds, it’s really Super Bowl or bust for this team. Palmer isn’t getting any younger and the Cardinals should look to distance themselves from any distractions coming from Kaepernick’s decision to protest the playing of the national anthem.

Next: 3. San Diego Chargers.