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Chicago Bears: Should the team pursue Colin Kaepernick?

By Manny Beltran

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 24: Colin Kaepernick #7 of the San Francisco 49ers runs with the ball during the game against the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on December 24, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 24: Colin Kaepernick #7 of the San Francisco 49ers runs with the ball during the game against the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on December 24, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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With starting quarterback Mitchell Trubisky potentially out for an extended period of time due to injury, does it make sense for the Chicago Bears to pursue free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick?

The Chicago Bears are fresh off a 16-6  home victory over the division rival Minnesota Vikings. Despite the celebratory mood within ‘Club Dub’ on Sunday evening, it looks like the team may be without starting quarterback Mitchell Trubisky for an uncertain amount of time.

Trubisky injured his left shoulder on the first drive of the game while scrambling out of the pocket and trying to keep a play alive. Backup quarterback Chase Daniel came in and played admirably for the team. He kept the chains moving when it mattered, capping his first drive with a touchdown pass to Tarik Cohen with 7:44 left to play in the first quarter. It proved to be enough behind a Bears defense that is playing at an all-time level.

Officially the Bears are down to Daniel on the quarterback depth chart. If Daniel had gotten hurt at any point in the game, the only other option at quarterback would have been Cohen. Yikes. The undersized, but all heart running back out of North Carolina A&T is capable of many things on a football field…playing quarterback for an extended amount of time is probably not one of them.

The team does have former University of Tennessee quarterback Tyler Bray on the practice squad and while he served as backup to Chase Daniel last year while Trubisky was injured, he can hardly be counted on in a starting role should Daniel go down. This begs to question…with a Super Bowl caliber defense and an improving special teams unit, should the Bears make a play at former San Francisco 49er and Pro Bowl quarterback Colin Kaepernick?

Forget about some of the drama that may follow Kaepernick into Halas Hall. The former University of Nevada star has an 88.9 career NFL quarterback rating. He’s thrown 77 touchdown passes to 30 interceptions.  He’s been on winning teams and has played games that actually matter in the NFL. He’s extremely athletic and could provide the team a premium insurance policy should Trubisky not return.  He’s also only 31 years old and will probably play younger than that given the fact that his body has not had to endure the physical beating the NFL gives you year in and year out due to his inactivity.

Trubisky injury is bad timing. dark. Next

Bears coach Matt Nagy would certainly get the best out of him and put him in a position to succeed, should he be needed. Let’s put politics aside for just a moment…this defense is too good to squander. The NFL is a feast or famine league year in and out and the Bears may not find themselves in this position next year. Sign Kaepernick to a one year contract for the going rate of a backup quarterback and show the NFL that the team that calls Soldier Field home is willing give a player who exercised his right to freedom of speech a chance at redemption. Kaepernick will not disappoint and may prove to be more than just a backup. What do you have to lose Ryan Pace?

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