5 reasons the Dolphins should have signed Colin Kaepernick

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MIAMI GARDENS, FL – NOVEMBER 27: Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (93) looks to pass rush San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) during the NFL football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Miami Dolphins on November 27, 2016, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL. The Miami Dolphins defeated the San Francisco 49ers by the score of 31-24. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

3. Kaepernick lit up Miami last season

Adam Gase and the Dolphins know how good Kaepernick can be because they witnessed it first-hand. Playing in front of a very hostile crowd, Kaepernick threw for 296 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 113 yards. His counterpart Ryan Tannehill had 285 passing yards and three touchdowns while coming out with the win. But even so, that game proved Kaepernick is deserving of being a starting QB in the NFL and is at least on the same level as Tannehill.

By throwing three touchdowns and rushing for 100 yards, Kaepernick became just the fifth quarterback in NFL history to do so. The others are Michael Vick, Cam Newton, Randall Cunningham and Marcus Mariota.

He obviously didn’t play that well every game, but he still cleaned up a lot of his turnovers from the past few seasons. He threw 16 touchdowns and four interceptions in 2016 compared to five in nine games and 10 the two seasons prior. He added two TDs on the ground but still lost three fumbles. All told, his stats were pretty impressive considering the cloud of controversy that hung over him every game, but particularly in this one.

Clearly, the talent is still there for Kaepernick and if he’s put in the right offensive system, he has the chance to excel. Given the rise of dual threat quarterbacks in the league, there’s still a place for him. And his 2016 numbers show that he hasn’t lost much of a step.

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